Fossils parts Flashcards
Sicula
Conical tube secreted by first zooid (Graptolite)
Pallial line
edge of where the mantle attached (bivalve)
Thoracic segment
One part of the thorax made up of pleurons (trilobite)
Boss
Wide base of tubercle where muscles holding spine attach (Echinoid)
Umbilicus
Diameter of inner coils (Ammonoid)
Petaloid ambulacral area
Ambulacral area that is shaped like petals (Irregular Echinoid)
Test
The top of an Echinoid
Stipe
Branch of Rhabdosome (Graptolite)
Mamelon
Nipple like area for spine articulation (Echinoid)
Holdfast
Structure to attach to the sea floor, like roots (Crinoid)
Anterior
Side of the shell where the siphon extends (bivalve)
Pygidium
The fused tail piece (trilobite)
Sulcus
Recessed area on either side of the keel (Ammonoid)
Whorl
One complete turn of the shell (Gastropod)
Genal angle
The edge of the cephalon that may have a spine attached to it (trilobite)
Keel
Ridge used to stabilise while swimming (Ammonoid)
Body chamber
Largest and last chamber where the animal lives (Ammonites)
Rhabdosome
Entire skeleton (Graptolite)
Phagmocone
Chambered part in the centre of the gaurd filled with gas for buoyancy (Belemnites)
Compound eye
Kidney bean shaped eye (trilobite)
Nema
Thin tube extension of Sicula to attach to floating objects (Graptolite)
Free cheek
The part of the cephalon that breaks away during ecdysis (trilobite)
Septal neck
Extension of septum that strengthens/supports the siphuncle (Ammonites)
Venter
Outer edge of shell (Ammonites)
Pallial sinus
Indentation along the pallial line (bivalve)
Visceral mass
Fleshy mass at the back of the valves, contains the stomach (brachiopod)
Columella
Central support of the corallite (coral)
Posterior
Side of the shell opposite the anterior (bivalve)
Dissepiments
Vertical supports, in between septa (coral)
Fringing reef
A coral reef that is connected to the land at low tide.
Proostratacum
Extension of gaurd, covered tentacles (Belemnites)
Adductor muscle scar
Small depression left where the adductor muscles attached to the valves (bivalve)
Facial suture
Line of weakness along which the free cheek breaks away during ecdysis (trilobite)
Corallite
Columnar skeleton produced by a single polyp (coral)
Delitidal plate
Triangular area below the foramen, adds support to opening (brachiopod)
Pedicle foramen
Opening from which the Pedicle stalk protrudes (brachiopod)
Lophophore
Filament inside the valves used to generate currents to circulate food (brachiopod)
Ribs
Ridges on the shell that add strength (bivalve)
Adductor muscle
The muscle that closes the valves (brachiopod and bivalve)
Pedicle valve
The bottom, smaller valve (brachiopod)
Operculum
A tougher part of the foot on the posterior side (Gastropod)
Septum
Walls that close off old body chambers and strengthen shell (Ammonites)
Aristotle’s lantern
The teeth structure (Regular Echinoids)
Commisure
The point where the two valves meet part of the brachial valve where the diductor muscle attaches (brachiopod and bivalve)
Suture
The line along which two whorls meet (Gastropod)
Shell margin
The edge of the shell (bivalve)
Glabella
Part of the cephalon Part of the head that contains the stomach (trilobite)
Umbo
The point of first growth part of the brachial valve where the diductor muscle attaches (brachiopod and bivalve)
Pedicle
The stalk that attaches the brachiopod to a surface
Calyx
Main part, contains soft tissue made of basal, infrabasal and radial plates (Crinoid)
Gonopore
The pore from which sperm and eggs are released (Echinoid)
Infrabasal plates
The 5 middle plates, connects basal and radial plates (Crinoid)
Pore pair
Where tube feet protrude (Echinoid)
Diductor muscle
Muscle used to open valves (brachiopod)
Septa
Vertical supports of the corallite (coral)
Guard
Solid internal skeleton, bullet shaped (Belemnites)
Outer lip
The outside margin of the shell, smooth so foot can be extended (Gastropod)
Epitheca
The outer most layer of the corallite (coral)
Interambulacral area
2 rows of plates each of which may have a tubercle (Echinoid)
Polyp
Fleshy part of the coral
Atoll
A ring of coral which no longer has an island in the middle of it
Aperture
Hole where zooid protrudes (Graptolite)
Siphonal canal
The place where the siphon extends (Gastropod)
Anterior groove
Makes the animal heart shaped Lined with cilia to direct currents towards the mouth (Irregular Echinoid)
Cilia
Hairs on the lophophore used to move food to the mouth (brachiopod)
Apex
First whorl (Gastropod)
Stem
Flexible tubular structure, supporting the calyx, composed of ossicles (Crinoid)
Anal tube
Tube that protrudes from the calyx (offset to one side) to get rid of waste without mixing it with fresh water (Crinoid)
Tube feet
Fleshy protrusions used for respiration movement and attachment (Echinoid)
Pleuron
One part of a thoracic segment (trilobite)
Water vascular system
System that circulates water and inflates tube feet (Echinoids)
Ossicles
Hollow calcite discs that make up the stem (Crinoid)
Theca
Cup where zooid lives (Graptolite)
Brachia
Delicate structure that wafts in the current to collect food using cilia made of 5 arms each with many pinnules on them (Crinoids)
Calice
Bowl shaped depression where the polyp sits (coral)
Tubercle
Protrusion of exoskeleton where spines can attach (Echinoid)
Suture
Where septum and shell fuse (Ammonites)
Aperture
Opening where the animal protrudes (Gastropod)
Perignathic girdle
The edge of the exoskeleton around the mouth where the Aristotle’s lantern attaches (Regular Echinoids)
Madreporite
The largest genital plate Takes water into the water vascular system (Echinoid)
Cardinal teeth
Raised area, fits into sockets on other valve, allows valves to move along the hinge line (bivalve)
Spire
All the whorls the animal no longer lives in (Gastropod)
Axis
Central structure running down whole trilobite, contains digestive tract
Brachial valve
The top, smaller valve (brachiopod)
Foot
The fleshy part protruding from the shell (Gastropod)
Inner lip
Inside margin of the shell, smooth so foot can be extended easily (Gastropod)
Periproctal plates
Make up the periproct which is a membrane around the anus (Echinoids)
Genital plate
The plates around the anus which have gonopores (Echinoid)
Ambulacral area
2 narrow rows of plates which each have a pore pair (Echinoid)
Mantel
Fleshy covering of the inside of the valves (brachiopod and bivalve)
Tabula
Horizontal plates that run up the corallite (coral)
Virgella
Spine at the end of Sicula (Graptolite)
Zooxanthellae
Algae that have a symbiotic relationship with coral
Cardinal process
part of the brachial valve where the diductor muscle attaches (brachiopod)
Radula
Tooth like protrusion, used to scrape flesh off prey or drill into shells (Gastropod)
Siphuncle
Tube that connects chambers and controls gas levels for buoyancy (Ammonites and Belemnites)
Hinge line
Plane of symmetry along which the valves meet (bivalve)
Brachidium
Support for the lophophore (brachiopod)
Pinnules
Small branches of arms. Each have a food groove lined with tube feet which are covered in cilia to transport food (Crinoid)
Labrum
Lip protruding over part of the mouth to prevent sediment moving into the mouth (Irregular Echinoid)
Byssus
Thread like structure which attaches to the sediment (bivalve)
Plastron
Area covered with tubercles (Irregular Echinoid)
Cephalon
The head of a trilobite
Fixed cheek
The part of the cephalon that remains attached throughout ecdysis (trilobite)
Barrier reef
Coral reef that is connected by the shore by a marshy area
Basal plates
The 5 lower plates, connect to stem (Crinoid)
Siphon
Soft tissue that takes in fresh water and filters it, aids in feeding and respiration (bivalve and Gastropod)
Protoconch
First chamber (Ammonites and Belemnites)
Apical angle
The angle at the apex (Gastropod)
Radial plates
The 5 upper most plates, where Arms connect, one on each plate (Crinoid)
Ligament
Helps hold shell together (bivalve)
Socket
Depression into which Cardinal teeth fit (bivalve)
Ocular plates
The five plates on the top of the test which act as eyes (Echinoid)
