Gigantostrea

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Gigantostrea
Temporal range: EoceneMiocene
Gryphaeidae - Gigantostrea gigantica.JPG
Fossil shell of Gigantostrea gigantica from Oligocene
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Ostreida
Family: Gryphaeidae
Genus: Gigantostrea
Sacco, 1897

Gigantostrea is an extinct genus of marine bivalve mollusks belonging to the family Gryphaeidae. [1]

Contents

This genus is known in the fossil record from the Eocene to the Miocene (age range: from 48.6 to 15.97 million years ago). [2] These fossils have been found in Europe and United States. [2] [3]

Description

Shells of Gigantostrea gigantica can reach a size of about 100 millimetres (3.9 in). [4] These fossil shells are brittle, inequivalve, with the lower valve convex and the upper valve flat or slightly concave. The lower valve was cemented to the substrate.

Species

Species within this genus include: [2]

Related Research Articles

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Gryphaea, one of the genera known as devil's toenails, is a genus of extinct oysters, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Gryphaeidae.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lingulata</span> Class of marine lamp shells

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craniidae</span> Family of shelled animals

The Craniidae are a family of brachiopods, the only surviving members of the subphylum Craniiformea. They are the only members of the order Craniida, the monotypic suborder Craniidina, and the superfamily Cranioidea; consequently, the latter two taxa are at present redundant and rarely used.There are three living genera within Craniidae: Neoancistrocrania, Novocrania, and Valdiviathyris. As adults, craniids either live freely on the ocean floor or, more commonly, cement themselves onto a hard object with all or part of the ventral valve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gryphaeidae</span> Family of bivalves

The Gryphaeidae, common name the foam oysters or honeycomb oysters, are a family of marine bivalve mollusks. This family of bivalves is very well represented in the fossil record, however the number of living species is very few.

<i>Atrypa</i> Genus of brachiopod

Atrypa is a genus of brachiopod with round to short egg-shaped shells covered with many fine radial ridges. Growth lines form perpendicular to the costae and are spaced approximately 2 to 3 times further apart than the costae.. The pedunculate valve is slightly convex, but oftentimes levels out or becomes slightly concave toward the anterior margin. The brachial valve is highly convex. Neither valve contains an interarea. Atrypa had a large geographic range and occurred from the late Lower Silurian (Telychian) to the early Upper Devonian (Frasnian). Other sources expand the range from the Late Ordovician to Carboniferous, approximately from 449 to 336 Ma. A proposed new species, A. harrisi, was found in the trilobite-rich Floresta Formation in Boyacá, Colombia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brachiopod</span> Phylum of marine animals also known as lamp shells

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<i>Fordilla</i> Extinct genus of bivalves

Fordilla is an extinct genus of early bivalves, one of two genera in the extinct family Fordillidae. The genus is known solely from Early Cambrian fossils found in North America, Greenland, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The genus currently contains three described species, Fordilla germanica, Fordilla sibirica, and the type species Fordilla troyensis.

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<i>Lutraria</i> Genus of bivalves

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Fordilloidea is an extinct superfamily of early bivalves containing two described families, Fordillidae and Camyidae and the only superfamily in the order Fordillida. The superfamily is known from fossils of early to middle Cambrian age found in North America, Greenland, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Fordillidae currently contains two genera, Fordilla and Pojetaia each with up to three described species while Camyidae only contains a single genus Camya with one described species, Camya asy. Due to the size and age of the fossil specimens, Fordillidae species are included as part of the Turkish Small shelly fauna.

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References

  1. Encyclopedia of life
  2. 1 2 3 Fossilworks
  3. GBIF
  4. "Ostreoidea". International Fossil Shells Museum.