Rotularia Explained

Rotularia is an extinct genus of planispirally coiled fossil polychaete worms in the family Serpulidae. Owing to the gastropod-like shape of Rotularia, many authors in the past interpreted this genus as being sea snails in the family Vermetidae.^[1] Like many other members from Vermetidae the Rotularia is approximately 5 inches in length. This is an estimate from the 151 confirmed fossil discoveries.

Description

All Rotularia species were cemented to the substrate during their earliest growth stage, but they became detached shortly after the formation of the first whorls (Savazzi, 1995).^[2] Rotularia originates in shallow marine environments.^[3] Their tubes have two layers with different microstructure (Vinn, 2008). This genus is known from the early Kimmeridgian to Late Eocene (Jäger, 2004).

References

• Jäger, M. 2004. Serpulidae und Spirorbidae (Polychaeta sedentaria) aus Campan und Maastricht von Norddeutschland, den Niederlanden, Belgien und angrenzenden Gebieten. Geologisches Jahrbuch (A) 157, 121–249.
• Savazzi, E. 1995. Morphology and mode of life of the polychaete Rotularia. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 69, 73–85.
• 10.1666/06-125.1 . Tube ultrastructure of the fossil genus Rotularia Defrance, 1827 (Polychaeta, Serpulidae) . 2008 . Vinn, O. . Journal of Paleontology . 82 . 1 . 206–212 . 2008JPal...82..206V . 129387553 . 2014-06-12.

Notes and References

1. Book: Fortey, Richard A. . 1991 . Harvard University Press . 978-0-674-31135-0 . 84 . en.
2. Book: Sieveking, G. de G. . Hart . M. B. . 2011-07-14 . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-16915-8 . 64 . en.
3. Book: Zealand, The Royal Society of New . The Royal Society of New Zealand . 1040 . en.