''Conoclypus'' - from the Greek words (= cone) + (= disc) - is a genus of
sea urchin
Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) ...
s belonging to the family
Conoclypeidae.
Description
These fossil echinoderms are characterized by a conical calcareous structure. They were slow-moving semi-infaunal detritivore, living in the late
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...
until the
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...
.
Distribution
Species of this genus have been found in
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...
of
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and in
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...
of
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
,
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...
and
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
.
Species
*''Conoclypus conoideus'' (Leske, 1778); Middle Eocene, Europe
*''Conoclypus pilgrimi'' Davies, 1927; Lower Eocene, Pakistan
*''Conoclypus pinfoldi'' Gill, 1953; Lower Eocene, Pakistan
*''Conoclypus lorioli'' (Dames, 1877); Eocene, Italy & Slovenia
References
The Paleobiology Database*Sepkoski, Jac
Sepkoski's Online Genus DatabasesNatural History Museum
*Vasja Miku�
Eocene sea urchins Conoclypus conoideus from the paleontological collection of the Department of Geology, University in Ljubljana
Clypeasteroida
Fossils of Italy
Eocene animals
Eocene genus first appearances
Miocene genus extinctions
{{echinoidea-stub