Cornulitid
Encyclopedia
Cornulitida is an extinct order of encrusting animals from the Tentaculita
class, which were common across the globe in the Ordovician
to Devonian
oceans, and survived until the Carboniferous
.
The organisms had shells, and were subject to predation by boring and other means from the Ordovician onwards. Many survived attacks by predators.
Their affinity is unknown; they have been placed in many phyla, and have been considered worms, corals, molluscs and more. They appear to be closely related to other taxa of uncertain affinity, including the microconchid
s, trypanoporid
s and tentaculitids.
Tentaculite
Tentaculites is an extinct genus of molluscs known from Devonian age fossils, ranging from 360-410 million years ago. The taxonomic classification of tentaculitids is uncertain, but some group them with pteropods. They may also be related to other conical shells of uncertain affinity including...
class, which were common across the globe in the Ordovician
Ordovician
The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
to Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
oceans, and survived until the Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
.
The organisms had shells, and were subject to predation by boring and other means from the Ordovician onwards. Many survived attacks by predators.
Their affinity is unknown; they have been placed in many phyla, and have been considered worms, corals, molluscs and more. They appear to be closely related to other taxa of uncertain affinity, including the microconchid
Microconchida
The Order Microconchida is a group of small, spirally-coiled, encrusting fossil "worm" tubes found from the Upper Ordovician to the Middle Jurassic around the world . They have lamellar calcitic shells, usually with pseudopunctae or punctae and a bulb-like origin...
s, trypanoporid
Trypanoporida
Trypanoporida is an extinct order of encrusting animals from the Tentaculita class, which were common in the Devonian oceans . Their affinity is unknown; they have been placed among worms and corals. They appear to be closely related to other taxa of uncertain affinity, including the...
s and tentaculitids.