''Constellaria'' is an extinct genus of bryozoan from the Middle Ordovician to Early Silurian (510-410 million years ago) from

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. These branching

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and sec ...

-like bryozoans formed bushy colonies 10–15 mm (0.375-0.5 inches) across on the seabed. The fairly thick branches were erect, often compressed in one direction, and covered with distinctive tiny, star-shaped mounds called maculae or monticules (regularly shaped hummocks). Feeding zoids were located along the rays of the stars. The maculae probably formed "chimneys" for the expulsion of exhalant feeding currents from the surface of a colony, after water had been filtered to obtain food for the organisms.

Discovery

''Constellaria'' was the first fossil bryozoan genus to be described. It was initially discovered by naturalist J.W. Van Cleve, but Cleve's work had to be finished by James Dwight Dana.

Species

''C. antheloidea'' (

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Late Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years from the end of the Cambrian Period million years ago (Mya) to the start of the Silurian Period Mya. The ...

Cincinnati Group The Cincinnati Group is a geologic group in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. It is Upper Ordovician. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Kentucky * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Ohio * List of fossiliferous stratig ...

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

References

*Fewster, H. (ed.) 2019. Dinosaurs & prehistoric life: The definitive visual guide to prehistoric animals. Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 978-0-2412-8730-9 *Lessem, D. 1999. Dinosaurs to dodos: An encyclopedia of extinct animals. Scholastic Inc., New York. ISBN 0-590-31684-2 *Walker, C. and Ward, D. 2000. Dorling Kindersley Handbooks: Fossils. Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 978-1-4053-5987-0 Cystoporida Stenolaemata genera Prehistoric bryozoan genera Ordovician bryozoans Ordovician animals of Europe Fossils of Georgia (U.S. state) Paleozoic life of Ontario Paleozoic life of British Columbia Paleozoic life of Quebec Extinct bryozoans {{bryozoan-stub