Monograptidae is an extinct family of graptolites of the order Graptoloidea.[1] Monograptids have only one row of thecae per stipe (stem, branch), unlike the biserial graptolites which have two opposing rows of thecae per stipe.[2]

Monograptidae
Temporal range: Ordovician - Devonian
Fossil of Monograptus flemingi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Monograptidae

Lapworth, 1873

Fossil record

edit

Fossils of Monograptidae are found from the Ordovician to the Devonian (age range: from 460.9 to 402.5 million years ago). They are especially important during the early Silurian.[2] They are known from various localities in Europe, North America, Argentina, China, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, Algeria and Morocco.[1]

Genera

edit

Maletz (2014) identifies 98 genera of Monograptidae. The family can possibly be divided into several subfamilies.[3]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Paleobiology Database Paleobiology Database
  2. ^ a b Maletz, Jörg (2017). Graptolite Paleobiology. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 9781118515617.
  3. ^ Maletz, Jörg (2014). "The classification of the Pterobranchia (Cephalodiscida and Graptolithina)". Bulletin of Geosciences. 89 (3): 477–540. doi:10.3140/bull.geosci.1465. ISSN 1214-1119.