PELMATOZOAN Meaning and
Definition
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A pelmatozoan is a term used in zoology to describe a member of the extinct phylum Pelmatozoa, a group of ancient echinoderms that lived predominantly in marine environments. The word "pelmatozoan" comes from the Greek word "pelmato," meaning "hanging" or "suspended," and "zoa," referring to animals.
Pelmatozoans were characterized by their sessile or attached lifestyle, often forming colonies or groups of individuals. They typically possessed a calyx or a cup-shaped body structure, with a central cavity enclosed by a set of plates called ossicles. These ossicles provided the skeleton for the animal and allowed for attachment to substrates such as rocks or shells.
The phylum Pelmatozoa included several classes, such as crinoids, blastoids, cystoids, and edrioasteroids. Among these, crinoids were the most diverse and well-known group, and their fossils are commonly found in paleontological sites around the world. Crinoids resembled delicate, flower-shaped organisms with feathery arms used for filter-feeding.
Pelmatozoans thrived during the Paleozoic Era, reaching their peak diversity in the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian periods. However, their abundance declined during the Mesozoic Era, and today they are entirely extinct, with only a few remnants represented by their living relatives, the sea lilies or feather stars.
In summary, a pelmatozoan refers to an ancient marine animal belonging to the phylum Pelmatozoa, which was characterized by an attached lifestyle and a calyx-shaped body with ossicles.
Common Misspellings for PELMATOZOAN
- oelmatozoan
- lelmatozoan
- 0elmatozoan
- pwlmatozoan
- pslmatozoan
- pdlmatozoan
- prlmatozoan
- p4lmatozoan
- p3lmatozoan
- pekmatozoan
- pepmatozoan
- peomatozoan
- pelnatozoan
- pelkatozoan
- peljatozoan
- pelmztozoan
- pelmstozoan
- pelmwtozoan
- pelmqtozoan
- pelmarozoan
Etymology of PELMATOZOAN
The word "pelmatozoan" is derived from the Ancient Greek words "pélmē" (πέλμη), meaning "palm" or "bulwark", and "zōion" (ζῷον), meaning "animal". These terms were combined to describe a group of ancient echinoderms that possess a columnar or stalk-like structure, resembling a palm or bulwark.
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