| Marocella Temporal range: Early-Middle Cambrian ~516–505 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N | |
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| Marocella source: Evans, 1992 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | incertae sedis |
| Binomial name | |
| Marocella Geyer 1986 | |
| Type species | |
| Marocella mira | |
| Species | |
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Marocella is a conical shelly fossil of uncertain affinity (probably a mollusc) known from Cambrian strata of Europe, Morocco, Australia and Antarctica.
Morphology
Limpet-like Marocella is a low conical shell with concentric ridges that grew to a couple of centimetres in length.
Affinity
Marocella is thought to be a mollusc, although its position within this phylum is undetermined. Relationship to the halkieriids has also been considered.
Ecology
Some specimens show evidence of repairing damage caused by predators. It probably moved around on the sea floor. It was geographically widespread.
Distribution
Fossils of Marocella have been found in:
- Shackleton Limestone, Antarctica
- Mernmerna Formation and Parara Limestone, Australia
- Jbel Wawrmast Formation, Morocco
- Sparagmite Formation, Norway
- Láncara Formation, Spain
References
- Geyer, G. (1986). "Mittelkambrische Mollusken aus Marokko und Spanien". Senckenbergiana Lethaea (in German). 67: 55–118.
- ^ Evans, K. R. (1992). "Marocella: Antarctic Specimens of an Enigmatic Cambrian Animal". Journal of Paleontology. 66 (4): 558–562. Bibcode:1992JPal...66..558E. doi:10.1017/s0022336000024422. JSTOR 1305841. S2CID 132749268.
- ^ Skovsted, C. B.; Brock, G. A.; Lindström, A.; Peel, J. S.; Paterson, J. R.; Fuller, M. K. (2007). "Early Cambrian record of failed durophagy and shell repair in an epibenthic mollusc". Biology Letters. 3 (3): 314–317. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0006. PMC 2464687. PMID 17412671.
- Marocella at Fossilworks.org
| Taxon identifiers | |
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| Marocella | |