Tentaculita

Tentaculita is an extinct class of uncertain placement ranging from the Early Ordovician to the Middle Jurassic. They were suspension feeders with a near worldwide distribution. For a more thorough discussion, see Tentaculites.

Tentaculita
Temporal range: Ordovician–Middle Jurassic Early Ordovician to Middle Jurassic (Vinn 2010)
Tentaculitids from the Devonian of Maryland.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Superphylum: Lophotrochozoa (?)
Class: Tentaculita
Boucek 1964
Orders and genera of uncertain placement

The presence of perforate septa and "septal necks" has been used to argue for a cephalopod affinity, whereas the shell microstructure, notably the presence of punctae, points to a brachiopod relationship.[1]

Tentaculita also includes Cornulitida and Microconchida.

References

  1. Weedon, Michael J. (1990). "Shell structure and affinity of vermiform 'gastropods'". Lethaia. 23 (3): 297–309. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3931.1990.tb01455.x.

Further reading


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