Rotularia
Genus of annelids
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rotularia is an extinct genus of planispirally coiled fossil polychaete worms in the family Serpulidae. Owing to the gastropod-like shape of Rotularia, many authors in the past interpreted this genus as being sea snails in the family Vermetidae.[1] Like many other members from Vermetidae the Rotularia is approximately 5 inches in length. This is an estimate from the 151 confirmed fossil discoveries.
| Rotularia Temporal range: (Jäger, 2004) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Rotularia concava fossil | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
| Clade: | Sedentaria |
| Order: | Sabellida |
| Family: | Serpulidae |
| Genus: | †Rotularia Defrance, 1827 |
Description
All Rotularia species were cemented to the substrate during their earliest growth stage, but they became detached shortly after the formation of the first whorls (Savazzi, 1995).[2] Rotularia originates in shallow marine environments.[3] Their tubes have two layers with different microstructure (Vinn, 2008). This genus is known from the early Kimmeridgian to Late Eocene (Jäger, 2004).
