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Heterastridium

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Heterastridium
Some Karakorum stones (labelled as Stoliczkaria and Syringosphaera)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hydrozoa
Order: Anthoathecata
Suborder: Anthoathecata incertae sedis
Family: Heterastridiidae
Frech, 1890
Genus: Heterastridium
Reuss, 1865

Heterastridium is an extinct genus of marine hydrozoan. It is the only accepted genus in the monotypic family Heterastridiidae. The fossils date from the Upper Triassic. They are mostly discoid or spherical and some forms found in the Karakorum mountains are called Karakorum stones.[1] They vary in diameter from 1 to 35 cm and appear to follow Cope's rule for the prehistoric climate.

References

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  1. ^ Erik Flügel (1960) Heterastridium conglobatum conglobatum Reuss, an Upper Triassic Hydrozoan from the Petra-Tou-Roumiou Limestone of Pendakomo, Cyprus. Journal of Paleontology 34(1):127-132