Phyllograptus

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Phyllograptus
Temporal range: Early Ordovician
Phyllograptus species
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Hemichordata
Class: Pterobranchia
Subclass: Graptolithina
Order: Graptoloidea
Family: Tetragraptidae
Genus: Phyllograptus
Hall, 1858

Phyllograptus is a graptolite genus of the order Graptoloidea, in the family Tetragraptidae.

Fossils of this genus have been found in the Early Ordovician (475-473 million years ago), in the sediments of Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, China, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and United States.[1]

The normal length of a colony of these leaf-shaped animals could reach a length of 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in). They were passively mobile planktonic suspension feeders.[1][2]

Phyllograptus species are excellent index fossils or guide fossils for identifying Ordovician rocks.[3]

References

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