| Monograptidae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Fossil of Monograptus flemingi | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Hemichordata |
| Class: | Pterobranchia |
| Subclass: | Graptolithina |
| Order: | † Graptoloidea |
| Suborder: | † Axonophora |
| Infraorder: | † Neograptina |
| Superfamily: | † Monograptoidea |
| Family: | † Monograptidae Lapworth, 1873 |
Monograptidae is an extinct family of graptolites of the order Graptoloidea. [1] Monograptids have only one row of thecae per stipe (stem, branch), unlike the biserial graptolites which have two opposing rows of thecae per stipe. [2]
Fossils of Monograptidae are found from the Ordovician to the Devonian (age range: from 460.9 to 402.5 million years ago). They are especially important during the early Silurian. [2] They are known from various localities in Europe, North America, Argentina, China, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, Algeria and Morocco. [1]
Maletz (2014) identifies 98 genera of Monograptidae. The family can possibly be divided into several subfamilies. [3]