Animalia > Porifera > Hexactinellida > Protospongiidae > Brooksella > Brooksella alternata

Brooksella alternata

Synonyms: Brooksella confusa; Laotira cambria

Wikipedia Abstract

Brooksella alternata is a species of lobate Cambrian fossil sponge found in the Conasauga Formation of Alabama and Georgia. These fossils are often referred to as "star-cobbles" for their distinct lobate appearance, generally with 6 or more lobes. Brooksella alternata was first described in 1896 by Charles Walcott, who believed them to be medusoid body fossils of cnidarians. Later researchers have offered other explanations, from diagenetic gas bubbles to burrow traces. The most accepted identity is that they are hexactinellid sponges, based on observed spicules, ostia, and internal structure.
View Wikipedia Record: Brooksella alternata

External References

Citations

Abstract provided by DBpedia licensed under a Creative Commons License
Species taxanomy provided by GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-13; License: CC BY 4.0