Palaeoaplysina
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| Palaeoaplysina Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Clade: | Archaeplastida |
| Division: | Rhodophyta |
| Class: | Florideophyceae |
| Stem group: | Corallinales |
| Order: | †Archaeolithophyllales (?) |
| Family: | †Palaeoaplysinaceae |
| Genus: | †Palaeoaplysina |
Palaeoaplysina is a genus of tabular, calcified fossils that are a component of many Late Palaeozoic reefs.[1] The fossil acted as a baffle to trap sediment. Historically interpreted as a sponge or hydrozoan,[2] recent studies are converging to its classification in the coralline stem group, placing it among the red algae.[1]
The thalloid organism had a series of internal canals opening on one side of the body (presumably the upper side), and volcano-like protuberances on that same side inviting comparison to filter-feeding organisms. On the other hand, it seems to have had a calcified cellular make up akin to that of the coralline reds, suggesting that it was either a stem-group coralline or a coralline-encrusted filter feeder.[3]
