RhabdopleuraRhabdopleura is a genus of colonial sessilehemichordates belonging to the Pterobranchia class. They are exclusively marine, benthic organisms whose species occur within all major oceans and range in habitat from intertidal to c. 900 meters. As one of the oldest living genera with a fossil record dating back to the Late Cambrian, it is also considered to be the only living genus of graptolites. Rhabdopleura is the best studied pterobranch in developmental biology.
PterobranchiaPterobranchia, members of which are often called pterobranchs, is a class of small worm-shaped animals. They belong to the Hemichordata, and live in secreted tubes on the ocean floor. Pterobranchia feed by filtering plankton out of the water with the help of cilia attached to tentacles. There are about 25 known living pterobranch species in three genera, which are Rhabdopleura, Cephalodiscus, and Atubaria.
Colony (biology)In biology, a colony is composed of two or more conspecific individuals living in close association with, or connected to, one another. This association is usually for mutual benefit such as stronger defense or the ability to attack bigger prey. Colonies can form in various shapes and ways depending on the organism involved. For instance, the bacterial colony is a cluster of identical cells (clones).
FossilPreserved remains or traces of organisms from a past geological ageExamples of animal fossils. Clockwise from top left: Onychocrinus, Palaeosinopa, Gryphaea, and HarpactocarcinusA fossil (from Classical Latinfossilis, lit. 'obtained by digging') is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age.
ChaunograptusChaunograptus is a genus of putative graptolite known from the Middle CambrianBurgess Shale. 11 specimens of Chaunograptus are known from the Greater Phyllopod bed, where they comprise 0.02% of the community. SpeciesChaunograptus contortusChaunograptus gemmatusChaunograptus scandensReferencesExternal links"Chaunograptus scandens". Burgess Shale Fossil Gallery. Virtual Museum of Canada. 2011. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12.
MiaolingianThe Miaolingian or Mid-Late Cambrian is the third Series of the Cambrian Period, and was formally named in 2018. It lasted from about 506.5 to 497 million years ago and is divided in ascending order into 3 stages: the Wuliuan, Drumian, and Guzhangian. The Miaolingian is preceded by the unnamed Cambrian Series 2 and succeeded by the Furongian series. It is named after the Miaoling Mountains in southeastern Guizhou Province, China.
Filter feederFilter feeders are aquatic animals that feed on organic matter, foodparticles or smaller organisms (bacteria, microalgae and zooplanktons) suspended in water, typically by having the water pass over or through a specialized filteringorgan that sieves out and/or traps solids.WuliuanThe Wuliuan stage is the fifth stage of the Cambrian, and the first stage of the Miaolingian Series of the Cambrian. It was formally defined by the International Commission on Stratigraphy in 2018. Its base is defined by the first appearance of the trilobite species Oryctocephalus indicus; it ends with the beginning of the Drumian Stage, marked by the first appearance of the trilobite Ptychagnostus atavus around 504.5 million years ago.
Mississippian (geology)Subdivision of the Carboniferous according to the ICS, as of 2024.Vertical axis scale: Millions of years agoEtymologyName formalityFormalUsage informationCelestial bodyEarthRegional usageGlobal (ICS)Time scale(s) usedICS Time ScaleDefinitionChronological unitSubperiodTime span formalityFormalLower boundary definitionFAD of the ConodontSiphonodella sulcata (discovered to have biostratigraphic issues as of 2006)Lower boundary GSSPLa Serre, Montagne Noire, France43°33′20″N3°21′26″E / 43.5555°N 3.3573°E / 43.5555; 3.3573Lower GSSP ratified1990Upper boundary definitionFAD of the ConodontDeclinognathodus nodiliferusUpper boundary GSSPArrow Canyon, Nevada, United States36°44′00″N114°46′40″W / 36.7333°N 114.7778°W / 36.7333; -114.7778Upper GSSP ratified1996The Mississippian ( ), also known as Lower Carboniferous or Early Carboniferous, is a subperiod in the geologic timescale or a subsystem of the geologic record.
Class (taxonomy)In biological taxonomy, class (Latin: classis) is a taxonomic rank, as well as a taxonomic unit (i.e., a taxon) in that rank. It is a group of related taxonomic orders. Other well-known ranks in descending order of size are domain, kingdom, phylum, order, family, genus, and species, with class ranking between phylum and order.
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