#conulariid

[leaping-laelaps-art]

Conulariids are an extinct group of probable cnidarians with 4-sided pyramidal thecae. They are relatively uncommon fossils but ranged from the Cambrian (possibly Ediacaran?) to the Triassic, comprising tens of genera and hundreds of described species (Lucas 2012).

Here are the reconstructed thecae of a small selection of species from every period of the conulariids' range, starting from the Cambrian in the top left and reaching all the way to the Triassic in the bottom right.

Since their soft parts are virtually never preserved (due to them being cnidarians and all that) (Van Iten & Südkamp 2010), most of our knowledge of conulariid biology and evolution is based on their more fossil-friendly thecae, which were composed of thin organophosphatic lamellae (Leme et al. 2008). Live conulariids were attached to the substrate by the apex of their theca; they probably captured suspended food particles or small prey using tentacles, just like other cnidarians, but it's hard to go in any more (non-speculative) detail without preserved soft tissues.

References:

Babcock, L. E. (1986). Devonian and Mississippian conulariids of North America. Part B. Paraconularia, Reticulaconularia, new genus, and organisms rejected from Conulariida. Annals of the Carnegie Museum, 55, 411–479. https://doi.org/10.5962/p.215204

Guimarães Simões, M., Coelho Rodrigues, S., Moraes Leme, J. de, & Van Iten, H. (2003). Some Middle Paleozoic Conulariids (Cnidaria) as Possible Examples of Taphonomic Artifacts. Journal of Taphonomy, 1(3), 163–184.

Hughes, N. C., Gunderson, G. O., & Weedon, M. J. (2000). Late Cambrian Conulariids from Wisconsin and Minnesota. Journal of Paleontology, 74(5), 828–838. https://doi.org/10.1666/0022-3360(2000)074<;0828:LCCFWA>2.0.CO;2

John, D. L., Hughes, N. C., Galaviz, M. I., Gunderson, G. O., & Meyer, R. (2010). Unusually preserved Metaconularia manni (Roy, 1935) from the Silurian of Iowa, and the systematics of the genus. Journal of Paleontology, 84(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1666/09-025.1

Leme, J. M., Simões, M. G., Marques, A. C., & Van Iten, H. (2008). Cladistic Analysis of the Suborder Conulariina Miller and Gurley, 1896 (cnidaria, Scyphozoa; Vendian–Triassic). Palaeontology, 51(3), 649–662. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2008.00775.x

Lucas, S. (2012). The Extinction of the Conulariids. Geosciences, 2, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences2010001

Sendino, C., & Zagorsek, K. (2011). The Aperture and Its Closure in an Ordovician Conulariid. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 56, 659–663. https://doi.org/10.4202/app.2010.0028

Slater, I. L. (1907). A monograph of British Conulariæ. Printed for the Palæontographical Society.

Thomas, G. A. (1969). Notoconularia, a New Conularid Genus from the Permian of Eastern Australia. Journal of Paleontology, 43(5), 1283–1290.

Van Iten, H., Konate, M., & Moussa, Y. (2008). Conulariids of the Upper Talak Formation (Mississipian, Visean) of Northern Niger (West Africa). Journal of Paleontology, 82(1), 192–196. https://doi.org/10.1666/06-083.1

Van Iten, H., Muir, L., Simões, M. G., Leme, J. M., Marques, A. C., & Yoder, N. (2016). Palaeobiogeography, palaeoecology and evolution of Lower Ordovician conulariids and Sphenothallus (Medusozoa, Cnidaria), with emphasis on the Fezouata Shale of southeastern Morocco. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 460, 170–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.03.008

Van Iten, H., & Südkamp, W. H. (2010). Exceptionally preserved conulariids and an edrioasteroid from the Hunsrück Slate (Lower Devonian, SW Germany). Palaeontology, 53(2), 403–414. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00942.x

Waterhouse, J. B. (1979). Permian and Triassic conulariid species from New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 9(4), 475–489. https://doi.org/10.1080/03036758.1979.10421833

敏郎杉山. (1942). 156. 日本産Conularidaの研究. 日本古生物学會報告・紀事, 1942(25), 185-194_1. https://doi.org/10.14825/prpsj1935.1942.185

[covenawhite66]

The worms correspond to the new genus and species Anguiscolex africanus, and the new species Wronascolex superstes.

The soft shell worms appear less than the harder shell worms in the fossil record. Also the location was in the Ocean under turbulent waters. A hostile environment for fossils.

The worms are are two to three times larger than the global record of palaeoscolecids in Australia, North America, and Central-Western Europe.

Discovery of two new palaeoscolecid taxa, the new genus and species Anguiscolex africanus and the new species Wronascolex superstes.

The Late Ordovician Tafilalt Biota of the Moroccan Anti-Atlas includes a diverse range of soft-bodied organisms, including palaeoscolecids, paropsonemid eldonioids, graptolites and cheloniellid arthropods, as well as a rich assemblage of mineralised taxa, among them conulariids, trilobites and echinoderms, often found as articulated skeletons.

[entomoblog]

L’extinction du Cambrien n’en était pas une | Pour la Science

See on Scoop.it - EntomoNews

Un gisement paléontologique exceptionnellement bien préservé, découvert dans l’Hérault, contredit l’hypothèse d’une extinction massive d’espèces il y a 485 millions d’années.

  François Savatier

04 avril 2024|  POUR LA SCIENCE N° 558

  "À Cabrières, dans l’Hérault, se trouve un rare trésor paléontologique : un lagerstätte floien polaire. Soit un gisement de fossiles préservant la plus grande partie de biodiversité d’un écosystème vieux de quelque 472 millions d’années, que l’équipe de Bertrand Lefebvre, chercheur au CNRS et à l’université Claude-Bernard, à Lyon, vient d’analyser. Or les structures internes des organismes y sont exceptionnellement bien conservées, même quand ils avaient des corps mous ou peu minéralisés, et cela change notre vision de la transition du Cambrien vers l’Ordovicien."

(...)

  "... L’apport le plus remarquable de Cabrières consiste toutefois dans la grande moitié d’organismes mous (algues, vers…) ou peu minéralisés (éponges, arthropodes primitifs…), qui ne sont normalement jamais fossilisés."

(...)

  [Image] En (a), un trilobite du genre Ampyx. En (b), des gastéropodes associés à une structure tubulaire. En (c), un cnidaire conulariide biominéralisé. En (d) des Brachiopodes articulés attachés à une possible éponge. En (e), assemblage formé de brachiopodes articulés (centre), de carapaces aplaties, probablement d'arthropodes bivalves (centre gauche et droit) et d'un cranidium de trilobite. En (f), un hyolithe avec de possibles organes internes. Les barres d’échelle représentent 4 millimètres en (a) et (e), 1 centimètre en (b) et (d), 5 millimètres en (c), et 2 millimètres en (f)

F. Saleh et al./Nat Ecol Evol

  ------

NDÉ

L'étude

  The Cabrières Biota (France) provides insights into Ordovician polar ecosystems | Nature Ecology & Evolution, 09.02.2024 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-024-02331-w

[poultryabc]

How long does it take to form a pearl?

Living-shelled mollusks or other animals, such as fossil conulariids produce hard, glistening objects known as pearls within their soft tissue. Like the mollusk shell, Pearls consist of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form deposited in concentric layers. People have highly valued natural pearls as gemstones and objects of beauty for centuries, especially those of the finest quality. As a…

[ourworld111]

Conulariid from the Lower Carboniferous of Indiana

[alphynix]

Cnidarians – a group of animals that includes modern corals, sea anemones, sea pens, jellyfish, hydra, and a couple of parasitic forms – are one of the most ancient animal lineages, originating at least 580 million years ago in the Ediacaran period.

Actual identifiable fossils of cnidarians that old are incredibly rare, however, and until now there was only one example – the small polyp-like Haootia from Canada.

But a second definite Ediacaran cnidarian has now been described: Auroralumina attenboroughii.

It was discovered in Charnwood Forest, England, in the very same site where the first recognized Precambrian fossils were found in the 1950s. About 20cm tall (~8") it dates to around 560 million years ago and was made up of a pair of forking stiff-walled tubes which expanded into wide four-sided goblet-like shapes full of stubby tentacles. These densely-tentacled crowns would have been used to capture tiny planktonic organisms from the water around it, making it the current earliest known example of a predatory animal.

The one known fossil specimen has an incomplete base, so it's uncertain if this was actually the full life appearance of Auroralumina or if it was even larger with more branches and goblets. And although it was preserved in deep-water sediments, it appears to have originated from much shallower waters, being swept down into the depths during a volcanic eruption.

While it superficially resembled a sea anemone, details of its anatomy suggest it was actually much closer related to medusozoans, having similar traits to the immobile polyp stage of the jellyfish life cycle. Its four-way symmetry and boxy shape may also link it to the enigmatic conulariids.

It's not clear if it was able to bud off swimming medusa stages like its modern relatives – that might be an evolutionary innovation that came along later – but it at least shows that a basic medusozoan body plan was already in place around 20 million years earlier than previously thought.

———

Nix Illustration | Tumblr | Twitter | Patreon

[poketastic]

who the fuck is Pearl? and why does she sound like a psychotic bitch?

A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carbonate (mainly aragonite or a mixture of aragonite and calcite)[3] in minute crystalline form, which has deposited in concentric layers.

TL;dr - Pearls are like Onions. Onions have layers, Pearl's have layers of calcium spit, and get some nasty ole little white hairs on them when you leave them out in the sun for too long lmao.

[houseofdevam]

5 Different Types of Pearls and How to Judge its Quality

A pearl is defined as a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids.

In simpler terms, while we think of pearls, a luscious round object white a creamy white surface pops in our head. But is it really so?

Here are five different types of pearls for you to know!

Freshwater Pearls

These pearls are grown inside fresh water, and come from the waters of China, generally. These range from 2mm to 12 mm diameter.

These pearls come in various pastel colors of peach, white, pink and lavender.

Baroque Pearls

These come from the Baroque era, led by the great King Charles I.

These pearls are judged by their shapes. They are divided into two: Traditional and Baroque pearls and have further classifications under them. Traditional pearls are generally spherical and the other could be anything but that! Baroque pearls are more expensive than traditional pearls.

The further classifications are: Twin Pearls, Coin Pearls, Heart Pearls, Egg Pearls and Rice Pearls.

South Sea Pearls

These come from the Coral Triangle, i.e. from the band stretch of Indonesia, Australia and The Philippines. These are the most priced and valued pearls as these are extremely rare and come from the waters of sharks. These are around 8mm to 18mm in diameter.

Akoya Pearls

These pearls are found from the cold coastal waters of Japan, Southern China and Vietnam. These range from 2mm to 10mm in diameter. These are generally white, but sometimes are also found in blue and golden shades.

Tahitian Pearls

These are hailing in the world from French Polynesia. These are gorgeous black pearls which are naturally glossy in nature. These range in various shades of grey and the darker ones are the most priced ones. These range from 5mm to 18mm in diameter.

How to judge a pearl right?

When it comes to pearls, knowing these four basic pointers is a must! One can become an expert if one studies these well in a pearl.

Let us get to know these four important pointers.

Size

Size does matter. Pearls are measured by diameter. Average size pearls that are sold in the market range from 7mm. Generally pearls are found in the 2mm to 20 mm range. Bigger the pearls, higher the cost.

Shape

You will rarely find a perfectly round pearl. It is very rare to find, and hence the perfect one would be the most expensive one. Anything close to a perfect circle would be expensive and going further away would be cheaper.

Surface

Absence of spots, bumps, cracks would make the value of the pearl go up high. Clarity matters the most here when it comes to judging a pearl by its surface. Highest quality pearls have a sharp mirror reflection quality.

Color

Pearls come in a variety of colors. From black to white to pink to blue, you will find pearls in all shades. Especially coral shaded pearls. No matter what the color is, your judging factor has to be the shine and lustre.

If you are in USA and looking for Pearl Jewelry then House of Devam is best option for you. They have all types of pearl jewelry. Visit their store at boca raton, Florida and browse their unique collection of pearl jewelry or browse online at www.houseofdevam.com.

[pearloftheorientseas]

A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as a conulariid. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers.

[alfredoistic]

📌 A #pearl is a hard glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living #shelled #mollusk or another animal, such as a conulariid. Just like the #shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carbonate (mainly #aragonite or a mixture of aragonite and #calcite) in minute #crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes, known as baroque #pearls, can occur. The finest #quality #natural pearls have been #highly valued as #gemstones and objects of #beauty for many centuries. Because of this, pearl has become a #metaphor for something #rare, #fine, #admirable and #valuable. Thanks @utopiapopup for this #amazing #beautiful and #creative pop-up place #UtopiaPopUp ❤️ • • • • • #PopUpShow #PopUps #PopUpSpace #PopUp #PopUpMuseum #PhotoBackDrop #InstagramablePlace #InstagramPlaces (at Utopia Popup) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwKZBRBjwc8/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=19crwnvqxsxtz

[gemsonaresources]

Hey, me again, um could I please have two things? 1. Torbernite + Dark Grey Pearl fusion And 2. Corrupt Dark Grey Pearl Thank you so much if you get to answering this~!

You’re welcome~

Dark Grey Pearl:

Corrupt Form:(Pearl in general)The corrupt version of Pearl would be a large mollusk/shell. I would recommend drawing inspiration from the two Pokémon, Shellder and Cloyster. The mollusk/shell would be the same color as the Pearl’s gemstone with an iridescent sheen.“A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as a conulariid… The English word pearl comes from the French perle, originally from the Latin perna meaning leg, after the ham- or mutton leg-shaped bivalve. The iridescent colors originate from nacre layers. All shelled mollusks can, by natural processes, produce some kind of "pearl" when an irritating microscopic object becomes trapped within its mantle folds… The unique luster of pearls depends upon the reflection, refraction, and diffraction of light from the translucent layers... The iridescence that pearls display is caused by the overlapping of successive layers, which breaks up light falling on the surface… Pearls are formed inside the shell of certain mollusks as a defense mechanism against a potentially threatening irritant such as a parasite inside the shell, or an attack from outside that injures the mantle tissue. The mollusk creates a pearl sac to seal off the irritation. Pearls are thus the result of an immune response analogous in the human body to the capture of an antigen by a phagocyte (phagocytosis).” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl

Fusions:-Crocodile/Kambaba Jasper-Lizard Skin Jasper-Ricolite Serpentine-Variscite

[anapproachingstorm]

🎯🎯🎯

Three Random Headcanons

Vergil has no idea what his social security number is. He worked strictly for cash when he was a mercenary, in his mid and late teens. Then he was functionally gone from nineteen to twenty-eight.. And a vagrant still, from twenty-eight til forty-two, when the events of the Qliphoth Conflict kicked off. Vergil is technically a ghost, he does not exist in the eyes of the public.. He's never really paid taxes, in the traditional sense, and he has no drivers license, birth certificate, certainly no diploma.. The hassle associated with getting these things makes him feel by and large inhuman.. So he goes without..

Vergil taught himself French, because the only copy of The Count of Monte Cristo at the library was in French.

Vergil has a vast approximate knowledge of a great many things, but has had no formal education...

ex: Dante: "Vergil, what is a pearl, exactly?" Vergil, not looking up from his book: "A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue, specifically the mantel, of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids." Dante: "Neat. Thanks for that. Hey, Vergil? How do you balance a checkbook?" Vergil, SWEATIN BULLETS: ...

[alphynix]

Cambrian Explosion Month #07: Phylum Cnidaria – The Weird Ones

Odd shell-like structures that resemble angular ribbed cones with four-way symmetry appear in the fossil record starting around the mid-to-late Cambrian (with a possible Ediacaran record).

Known as conulariids, these fossils are so distinctive and different from anything else that for a long time their evolutionary affinities were unknown, and they were considered to be a "problematic" group. But in recent years they've been identified as being cnidarians, generally thought to be close relatives of modern stalked jellyfish.

Conularia cambria was one of the earliest definite conulariids, known from the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota, USA, and dating to the Late Cambrian (~490 million years ago). Up to about 5cm long (2"), its shell lacked the ribbed texture of most other conulariids but it would have otherwise looked very similar to later species – living attached to the sea floor by the pointed end of the cone, with tentacles protruding from the wider end at the top.

Conulariids were also unique among cnidarians for producing pearls inside their shells similar to those found in molluscs.

And despite being relatively rare and low-diversity, conulariids were a surprisingly long-lived group. Not only did they last throughout the rest of the Paleozoic Era, but they then survived the Great Dying mass extinction at the end of the Permian and only went completely extinct at the end of the Triassic, about 201 million years ago.

———

Another unusual fossil from the mid-Cambrian Chengjiang biota in southwest China (~518 million years ago) might have been a cnidarian. Xianguangia sinica was a tiny 2cm tall (0.8") sea anemone-like animal with a cylindrical body, an attachment disc at the bottom, and an upper whorl of around 16 tentacles with feather-like extensions that suggest it was a filter-feeder.

It's generally considered to be a "stem-cnidarian", part of an extinct early lineage that has no close modern relatives. It might represent a weird offshoot that experimented with a different body plan and feeding strategy than the rest of the group, or it might be a late-surviving example of what ancestral cnidarians originally looked like.

But other studies have instead linked it with potential ancestors of comb jellies, so its classification is still rather uncertain.

———

Nix Illustration | Tumblr | Pillowfort | Twitter | Patreon

[holstadnco]

Couldn't agree more 💕 @niclashohlin #repost #SingaporePirate #welove A pearl is a hard glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as a conulariid. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carbonate (mainly aragonite or a mixture of aragonite and calcite) in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes, known as baroque pearls, can occur. The finest quality natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries. Because of this, pearl has become a metaphor for something rare, fine, admirable and valuable. Like  a  friendship.. . . . #holstadnco #niclashohlin #manpearls #manjewelry #forhim #pearls #welove #thankyou #gratitude #support #friendship #blackandwhitephotography #designer #designerjewelry #statementjewelry #blackpearls #skulls #skulljewelry #lookbook #weloveholstadnco https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqb464Ghg-n/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=lpqqdehmb3n2