Term
Cyanobacterial stromatolites in map view
Age: Archean to present, but especially common in the Proterozoic |
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Term
Cyanobacterial stromatolites in cross-section
Age: Archean to present, but especially common in the Proterozoic |
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Term
Prokaryote microfossils
Age: Early Proterozoic (2 Ga)
Remarks: Gunflint chert |
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Definition
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Term
Acritarch (eukaryote microfossil)
Age: Middle Proterozoic (1600 Ma) to Recent.
Remarks: The large size (>100 micrometers) and complex ornamentation identifies this as a eukaryote microfossil. |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Unknown
Name: Swartpuntia fossil (left) and reconstruction (right)
Age: Ediacarian (Late Precambrian)
Remarks: Impression of soft-bodied animal in sandstone. |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Unknown
Genus: Dickinsonia
Age: Ediacarian (Late Precambrian)
Remarks: Impression of soft-bodied animal in sandstone. |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Cnidaria
Name: frond and attachment disc
Age: Ediacarian (Late Precambrian)
Remarks: Impression of soft-bodied animal in sandstone. |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Arthropoda?
Name: Spriggina
Age: Ediacarian (Late Precambrian)
Remarks: Impression of soft-bodied animal in sandstone. Possibly a "stem-group" arthropod |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Unknown
Name: Tribrachidium
Age: Ediacarian (Late Precambrian)
Remarks: Impression of a soft-bodied animal in sandstone. |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Porifera
Name: Glass sponge
Age: Phanerozoic (Cambrian to present) |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Porifera
Name: Archaeocyathan
Age: Cambrian
Remarks: Cambrian reef-builder |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Porifera
Name: Stromatoporoid
Age: Ordovician to Devonian
Remarks: Ordovician to Devonian reef-builder |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Cnidaria
Name: Solitary coral
Age: Ordovician to Permian |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Cnidaria
Name: Colonial coral
Age: Ordovician to Permian
Remarks: Ordovician to Devonian reef-builders |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Bryozoa
Name: Bryozoan
Age: Ordovician to present
Remarks: Stick-shaped |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Bryozoa
Name: Bryozoan
Age: Ordovician to present
Remarks: Mound-shaped |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Bryozoa
Name: Bryozoan
Age: Ordovician to present
Remarks: Screw-shaped form especially common in the Carboniferous
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Brachiopoda
Name: Brachiopod
Age: Cambrian to present, but especially common in the Paleozoic |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Brachiopoda
Name: Brachiopod
Age: Cambrian to present, but especially common in the Paleozoic |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Brachiopoda
Name: Brachiopod
Age: Cambrian to present, but especially common in the Paleozoic |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Mollusca
Name: Gastropod (snail)
Age: Phanerozoic (Cambrian to present) |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Mollusca
Name: Gastropod (snail)
Age: Phanerozoic (Cambrian to present) |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Mollusca
Name: Gastropod (snail)
Age: Phanerozoic (Cambrian to present) |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Mollusca
Name: Bivalve (clam)
Age: Phanerozoic (Cambrian to present) |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Mollusca
Name: Cephalopod
Age: Straight-shelled cephalopods were especially common in the Ordovician-Devonian
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Mollusca
Name: Cephalopod
Age: Coiled cephalopods were especially common in the Devonian-Cretaceous |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Arthropoda
Genus: Marella
Age: Cambrian
Remarks: Most common fossil in the Burgess Shale |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Arthropoda
Name: Trilobite
Age: Most common in Cambrian-Devonian |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Arthropoda
Name: Trilobite
Age: Most common in the Cambrian-Devonian |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Arthropoda
Name: Eurypterid
Age: Ordovician to Permian |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Arthropoda
Name: Ostracod
Age: Ordovician to present |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Echinodermata
Name: Starfish
Age: Ordovician to present |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Echinodermata
Name: Crinoid
Age: Ordovician to present (especially O-P)
Remarks: Attached to the seabottom by a stem |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Echinodermata
Name: Crinoid
Age: Ordovician to present (especially O-P)
Remarks: Attached to the seabottom by a stem, note feathery feeding arms |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Echinodermata
Name: Crinoid stem pieces
Age: Ordovician to present (especially O-P) |
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Definition
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Term
Name: Graptolite
Age: Ordovician and Silurian
Remarks: Ordovician graptolites are multi-branched |
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Definition
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Term
Name: Graptolite
Age: Ordovician and Silurian
Remarks: Silurian graptolites are unbranched |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Chordata
Name: Placoderm (primitive armoured fish)
Age: Devonian |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Chordata
Name: Placoderm (primitive armoured fish)
Age: Devonian
Remarks: Skull 2 meters high! |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Chordata
Name: early Amphibian
Age: Carboniferous to Permian |
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Definition
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Term
Phylum: Chordata
Name: Dimetrodon
Age: Permian
A synapsid reptile that was the top carnivore of Permian terrestrial ecosystems. |
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Definition
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Term
Name: Rhyniophyte (fossil and reconstruction)
Age: Silurian - Devonian
Remarks: Oldest flora of vascular plants |
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Definition
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Term
Name: Trimerophyte (reconstruction)
Age: Devonian
Remarks: Primitive vascular plant |
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Definition
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Term
Name: Lycopod (fossils and reconstructions)
Age: Devonian to present
Remarks: Characteristic of Carboniferous floras (and coals) |
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Definition
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Term
Name: "Horsetail" (reconstruction)
Age: Devonian to present
Remarks: Characteristic of Carboniferous floras (and coals)
Fossil (left), reconstruction (middle), modern representatives (right). |
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Definition
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Term
Progymnosperm
Name: Archeopteris leaves
Age: Devonian - Early Carboniferous
Remarks: First woody trees |
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Definition
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Term
Progymnosperm
Name: Archeopteris (fossil and reconstruction)
Age: Devonian - Early Carboniferous
Remarks: First woody trees |
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Definition
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Term
Fern
Age: Devonian - Recent
Remarks: Especially important in the Carboniferous - Triassic |
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Definition
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Term
Seed Fern
Age: Carboniferous - Triassic
Remarks: Oldest Gymnosperms |
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Definition
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Term
Seed Fern
Name: Glossopteris leaves
Age: Permian
Remarks: Characteristic Permian flora of Gondwana |
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