GLOSSARY
Amber—a hard, yellowish, translucent, fossilized plant resin.
Ammonite—ammonoid [cephalopod] with complexly wrinkled [suture] pattern; member of subclass Ammonoidea.
Anterior—front or fore.
Anus—the terminal opening of the alimentary canal, through which waste matter is discarded from the body.
Aperture—the opening of shells, cells, etc.
Aragonite—calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) crystallizing in a different form than [calcite]. In shells it is chalky and opaque; is less stable than calcite.
Archeozoic—the oldest known geological era; early [Precambrian] time.
Articulated—joined by interlocking processes or by teeth and sockets.
Asymmetrical—without or lacking [symmetry].
Bilateral—pertaining to the two halves of a body as symmetrical and mirror images of each other.
Binomial nomenclature—[system] of scientific nomenclature requiring two names: generic and trivial.
Blastoid—stalked [echinoderm] with bud-like [calyx] usually consisting of 13 plates; member of class Blastoidea.
Brachiopod—bivalved marine invertebrate; member of [phylum] Brachiopoda.
Brackish—a mixture of salt and fresh waters.
Burrow—a hole in the ground, [rock], wood, etc., made by certain animals for shelter or while gathering food.
Calcareous—composed of, or containing, calcium carbonate; limy.
Calcite—calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) crystallizing in a different form than [aragonite]. In shells it is translucent and more stable than aragonite.
Cambrian—the first (oldest) [period] of the [Paleozoic] era.
Calyx—in corals the bowl-shaped depression in the upper part of the skeleton; in stalked echinoderms that part of the body which contains most of the soft parts.
Caprinid—a [Cretaceous] [pelecypod] that is typically coiled in the form of a ram’s horn.
Carapace—the hard protective covering that forms the [exoskeleton] of many invertebrates; in arthropods it is usually [chitinous] or calcaro-chitinous.
Carbonization—the process of fossilization whereby organic remains are reduced to carbon or coal.
Cast—the impression taken from a mold.
Cenozoic—the latest era of geologic time, following the [Mesozoic] era and extending to the present.
Cephalon—the head; in trilobites the [anterior] body [segment] forming the head.
Cephalopod—marine invertebrate with well-defined head and eyes and with tentacles around the mouth; member of class Cephalopoda, [phylum] Mollusca; includes squids, octopuses, pearly nautilus.
Ceratite—an ammonoid [cephalopod] with [suture] composed of rounded saddles and jagged lobes; member of subclass Ammonoidea.
Chert—a cryptocrystalline [variety] of [silica]; flint is a variety of [chert].
Chitin—a horn-like substance, found in the hard parts of many animals, such as beetles, crabs, etc.
Chitinous—composed of [chitin].
Cirri—in crinoids, the jointed appendages which branch off the side of the stem or from the base of some crinoid stems.
Coelenterate—invertebrates characterized by a hollow body cavity, radial [symmetry], and stinging cells; a member of [phylum] Coelenterata; includes jellyfishes, corals, sea anemones.
Colonial—in biology refers to the way in which some invertebrates live in close association with, and are more or less interdependent upon, each other; [colonial] corals, hydroids, etc.
Columella—a small column or central axis; in corals the small rod or axial pillar in the center of the [corallite]; in gastropods the solid or perforate pillar formed by the union of the successive coils of a conispiral shell.
Columnal—one of the disk-shaped segments of a crinoid stalk.
Concentric—having a common center, as circles; refers to shell markings that are parallel to shell margin.
Concretion—nodular or irregular masses in sedimentary rocks and usually formed around a central core, which is often a [fossil].
Conical—cone-shaped.
Conodont—minute tooth-like fossils found in certain [Paleozoic] rocks; their origin is not definitely known, but they may have been part of some type of extinct fish.
Coral—bottom-dwelling marine invertebrate that secretes [calcareous] hard parts; member of class Anthozoa, [phylum] Coelenterata.
Corallite—the skeleton formed by an individual [coral] animal; may be [solitary] or form part of a colony.
Corallum—the skeleton of a [coral] colony.
Corona—crown; in echinoids the main part of the skeleton consisting of symmetrically arranged [calcareous] plates.
Coprolite—the [fossil] excrement of animals.
Correlation—the process of demonstrating that certain strata are closely related to each other or that they are stratigraphic equivalents.
Cretaceous—the third and last [period] of the [Mesozoic] era.
Cystoid—an extinct stemmed [echinoderm] with [calyx] composed of numerous irregularly arranged plates; member of class Cystoidea.
Dendritic—resembling a tree, branching.
Dentition—the [system] or arrangement of teeth peculiar to any given animal.
Devonian—the fourth oldest [period] of the [Paleozoic] era, follows the [Silurian], precedes the [Mississippian].
Dip—the angle of inclination which the bedding plane of rocks makes with a real or imaginary horizontal line.
Distillation—in fossils that process by which volatile organic matter is removed, leaving a carbon residue.
Dolomite—a mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate (CaMg(CO₃)₂).
Dorsal—pertaining to the back.
Echinoderm—a marine invertebrate with [calcareous] [exoskeleton] and usually exhibiting a five-fold [radial symmetry]; member of [phylum] Echinodermata; includes cystoids, blastoids, crinoids, starfishes, and sea urchins.
Echinoid—bottom-dwelling, unattached marine invertebrate with [exoskeleton] of [calcareous] plates covered by movable spines; member of class Echinoidea; sea urchins, heart urchins, biscuit urchins.
Endoskeleton—the internal supporting structure of an animal.
Eocene—the next to earliest of the [Tertiary] epochs, follows the [Paleocene] and precedes the [Oligocene].
Equivalved—right and left valves subequal and (except for hinge structures) comprising mirror images of each other.
Evolution—a term applied to those methods or processes and to the sum of those processes whereby organisms change through successive generations.
Exoskeleton—an external skeleton, or hard covering for the protection of soft parts, particularly among invertebrates.
Fault—the displacement of rocks along a zone of fracture.
Fauna—an assemblage of animals (living or [fossil]) living in a given place at a given time.
Flank—the side or [lateral] portion of anything.
Flora—an assemblage of plants (living or [fossil]) living in a given place at a given time.
Fold—in brachiopods, a major rounded elevation of shell which affects both inner and outer shell surfaces.
Foramen—in brachiopods, the opening in the pedicle [valve] near the beak where the pedicle extends through the shell.
Foraminifer—a protozoan usually possessing a [calcareous], perforated, chambered shell, but shell may be [chitinous] or agglutinated; a member of the order Foraminifera, [phylum] Protozoa.
Formation—a [rock unit] useful for mapping and distinguished primarily on the basis of lithologic characters.
Fossil—the remains or traces of organisms buried by natural causes and preserved in the earth’s crust.
[Guide fossil]—a [fossil] which, because of its limited vertical but wide horizontal distribution, is of value as a guide or index to the age of the rocks in which it is found.
Fossiliferous—containing fossilized organic remains.
Fusulinid—a spindle-shaped [foraminifer]: [test] shaped like a grain of wheat.
Gastrolith—highly polished well-rounded pebbles found associated with certain reptilian fossils; “stomach stones.”
Gastropod—a terrestrial or aquatic invertebrate, typically possessing a single-valved, [calcareous], coiled shell; member of class Gastropoda, [phylum] Mollusca: snails and slugs.
Geologic age—the age of an object as stated in terms of geologic time (e.g., a [Pennsylvanian] fern, [Cretaceous] dinosaur).
Geologic map—map showing distribution of [rock] outcrops, structural features, mineral deposits, etc.
Geologic range—the known duration of an organism’s existence throughout geologic time (e.g., [Cambrian] to Recent for brachiopods).
Glauconite—a greenish mineral commonly formed in marine environments and essentially a hydrous silicate of iron and potassium.
Goniatite—an ammonoid [cephalopod] with [suture] composed of smooth saddles and simple angular lobes; member of subclass Ammonoidea.
Graptolite—an extinct, marine, [colonial] organism with [chitinous] hard parts; believed to belong to subphylum Hemichordata of [phylum] Chordata.
Guide fossil—see [Fossil].
Habitat—the physical environment in which an organism lives.
Hinge-line—in brachiopods, the edge of the shell where the two valves articulate; in pelecypods, the [dorsal] margin of the [valve] which is in continual contact with the opposite valve.
Igneous rock—rocks which have solidified from lava or molten [rock] called magma.
Index fossil—see [Fossil].
Inequivalved—opposite valves unlike in shape or size, or both.
Jurassic—second oldest [period] of the [Mesozoic]; follows the [Triassic], precedes the [Cretaceous].
Keel—a strong continuous ridge along the [ventral] side of ammonites.
Larva—the young form of some animals before they assume the mature shape.
Lateral—side or to the side.
Lithology—the study and description of rocks based on the megascopic (with the naked eye) examination of samples. Used also to refer to the texture and composition of any given [rock] sample.
Living chamber—in mollusks, that part of the shell which is occupied by the living animal.
Lobe—in cephalopods, the backward flexure of the [suture] or [septum].
Longitudinal—in a direction parallel with the length.
Lophophore—in brachiopods, a tentacle-bearing appendage attached to the [anterior] surface of the [mantle] cavity.
Mantle—in mollusks and brachiopods, a layer of tissue containing cells that secrete the shell.
Meso-—a prefix signifying middle.
Mesozoic—that era of geologic time that precedes the [Cenozoic] and follows the [Paleozoic].
Miocene—fourth oldest epoch of the [Tertiary] [period]; follows the [Oligocene], precedes the [Pliocene].
Mississippian—fifth oldest [period] of the [Paleozoic]: follows the [Devonian], precedes the [Pennsylvanian].
Multicellular—composed of more than one cell.
Nacreous—pearly.
Node—a knob.
-oid—a suffix meaning “in the form of.”
Oligocene—the third oldest epoch of the [Tertiary] [period]: precedes the [Miocene], follows the [Eocene].
Operculum—the lid or covering of the [aperture] of certain shells.
Oral—referring to the mouth or [aperture].
Orbitoidids—foraminifers with large typically disk-shaped tests.
Ordovician—second oldest [period] of the [Paleozoic] era; follows the [Cambrian], precedes the [Silurian].
Ossicle—loosely used as a small plate.
Paleocene—oldest epoch of the [Tertiary] [period]; precedes the [Eocene].
Paleozoic—that era of geologic time that follows [Precambrian] time and precedes the [Mesozoic] era.
Pedicle opening (pedicle [foramen])—see [Foramen].
Pelecypod—a bivalved aquatic invertebrate; member of class Pelecypoda, [phylum] Mollusca.
Pennsylvanian—the sixth oldest [period] of the [Paleozoic] era; follows the [Mississippian], precedes the [Permian].
Period—a division of geologic time ([Pl. 1]).
Periostracum—the horny outer covering or epidermis on shells.
Permian—seventh and last [period] of the [Paleozoic].
Permineralization—that process by which mineral matter has been added to the original shell material by precipitation in the interstices rather than replacing the original shell material.
Phosphatic—containing or pertaining to phosphate minerals.
Phylum—one of the primary divisions of the animal or vegetable kingdoms.
Planispiral—shell coiled in one plane.
Pleistocene—earliest epoch of [Quaternary] [period], [Cenozoic] era; follows [Pliocene] epoch of [Tertiary] period, precedes Recent epoch of Quaternary.
Pleural—referring to the side or ribs; in trilobites, refers to [lateral] portions of [thorax] and pygidium.
Pliocene—latest epoch of [Tertiary] [period] of [Cenozoic] era; follows [Miocene] epoch and precedes [Pleistocene] epoch of [Quaternary] period.
Polygonal—many sided or having many-sided plates.
Polyp—a many-tentacled aquatic [coelenterate] animal, typically cylindrical or cup-shaped, as in corals.
Porcelaneous—like porcelain.
Pore—a very small opening.
Posterior—situated behind; to the rear.
Precambrian—that portion of geologic time before the [Cambrian]; divided into [Archeozoic] era (Early [Precambrian]) and [Proterozoic] era (Late Precambrian).
Protero—combining form meaning fore, former, or [anterior] in time (Greek proteros, fore).
Proterozoic—youngest era of the [Precambrian]; follows the [Archeozoic] era and precedes the [Cambrian] [period] of the [Paleozoic] era.
Protista—the organic kingdom including the simplest of all one-celled organisms which possess various characters of both plants and animals; bacteria, algae, foraminifers, radiolarians.
Protoconch—in mollusks, the initial chamber of shell.
Pyrite—a hard, brass-yellow mineral composed of iron sulfide; “fool’s gold.”
Quaternary—the youngest [period] of the [Cenozoic] era, follows the [Tertiary] period.
Radial symmetry—see [Symmetry].
Reef—a mound-like or ridge-like elevation of the sea bottom which almost reaches the surface of the water, composed primarily of organic material and commonly formed by reef-building animals, such as corals and oysters.
Replacement—type of fossilization whereby hard parts of organisms are removed by solution accompanied by almost simultaneous deposition of other substances in the resulting voids; mineralization.
Respiration—the process of oxygenation.
Rock—an aggregation of one or more minerals.
Rock-unit—divisions of rocks based on definite physical and lithologic characteristics and not defined on the basis of geologic time alone; groups, formations, members.
Rudistid—a [Cretaceous] [pelecypod] that does not exhibit the typical clam or oyster shape; many are cone-shaped, resembling corals.
Saddle—in cephalopods, the forward flexure (curved toward the [aperture]) of the [suture] or [septum].
Scaphopod—an exclusively marine mollusk with a single-valved tusk-shaped shell; member of class Scaphopoda, [phylum] Mollusca.
Scavenger—an animal that feeds on organic refuse.
Sedentary—stationary in life, not moving from place to place.
Sediment—material that has been deposited by settling from a transportation agent such as water or air; typically composed of weathered [rock] fragments.
Sedimentary rock—rocks formed from the accumulation and lithification of sediments.
Segment—one of the parts into which a body naturally separates or is divided; for example, segments of arthropods or annelid worms.
Septal—pertaining to the [septum].
Septum (plural, septa)—a dividing wall or partition; in fusulinids, a partition between chambers in the [fusulinid] shell; in corals, one of the radiating, [longitudinal], [calcareous] plates located within the [corallite]; in cephalopods, the [transverse] partitions between the chambers.
Series—the rocks formed during an epoch; the time-stratigraphic term next in rank below a [system].
Serrate—notched like a saw.
Sessile—animal attached to the sea floor more or less permanently.
Silica—an oxide of silicon (SiO₂).
Siliceous—containing or pertaining to [silica].
Silicification—the process of combining or impregnating with [silica].
Silurian—the third oldest [period] of the [Paleozoic] era; follows the [Ordovician], precedes the [Devonian].
Sinus—an elongate depression on [brachiopod] shells.
Siphuncle—in cephalopods, the segmented horny or [calcareous] tube which extends from the [protoconch] to the living chamber.
Slickensides—polished and grooved surfaces that are the result of two [rock] masses sliding past each other as in faulting.
Solitary—living alone; not part of a colony.
Species—one of the smaller natural divisions in classification.
Specific name—see [Trivial name].
Spicule—a minute spike or dart, skeletal element in sponges and holothurians.
Stratum (plural, strata)—a single bed or layer of [rock].
Strike—the direction of a real or imaginary line that is formed by the intersection of a bed or [stratum] with a horizontal plane; [strike] is perpendicular to the [dip].
Subconical—less than [conical] in shape; almost a cone.
Suture—the line of junction between two parts; in crinoids, the line of junction between two plates; in gastropods, the line of junction of the whorls as seen on the exterior of the shell; in cephalopods, the line of junction between a [septum] and the shell wall.
Symmetry—orderly arrangement of parts of an object with reference to lines, planes, or points.
[Bilateral] [symmetry]—the symmetrical duplication of parts on each side of a vertical anterior-posterior plane.
[Radial symmetry]—the symmetrical repetition of parts around a common vertical dorso-ventrally disposed axis.
Pentamerous [symmetry]—symmetry arranged in a pattern of fives.
System—the rocks formed during a [period]; the time-stratigraphic term next in rank above a [series].
Taxonomy—that branch of science that deals with classification, especially in relation to plants, animals, or fossils.
Tertiary—the oldest [period] of the [Cenozoic] era; follows the [Cretaceous] period of the [Mesozoic] and precedes the [Quaternary] period of the Cenozoic.
Test—the protective covering of some invertebrate animals.
Theca—a sheath or case; in coelenterates, the bounding wall at or near the margin of the [exoskeleton]; in echinoderms, the main body skeleton (or [calyx]) which houses the animal’s soft parts; in graptolites, any cup or tube of the colony.
Thorax—in trilobites, that part of the body between the [cephalon] and pygidium.
Time-unit—a portion of continuous geologic time (e.g., eras, periods, epochs, and ages).
Time-rock unit—same as time-stratigraphic unit.
Time-stratigraphic unit—term given to [rock] units with boundaries established by geologic time; strata deposited during definite portions of geologic time (e.g., systems, [series], stages, etc.).
Topography—the physical features or configuration of a land surface.
Topographic map—a map showing the physical features of an area, especially the relief and contour of the land.
Transverse—at right angles to length.
Triassic—the youngest [period] of the [Mesozoic] era; follows the [Permian] period of the [Paleozoic] and precedes the [Jurassic] period of the Mesozoic.
Trilobite—an extinct marine arthropod having a flattened segmented body covered by a hardened [dorsal] [exoskeleton] divided into three lobes.
Trivial name—the Latinized name added to a generic name to distinguish the [species]; same as [specific name].
Type locality—the geographic location at which a [formation] was first described and from which it was named; or from which the type specimen of a [fossil] [species] comes.
Type specimen—the individual or specimen on which the original designation of a [species] was established.
Umbilicus—an external depression or opening at the center of many loosely coiled shells; in gastropods it is usually located at the base of the shell; in cephalopods it is usually located laterally.
Umbo—the arched part of the [valve] near the beak in bivalve shells.
Unicellular—composed of one cell.
Valve—the one or more pieces comprising the shell of animals.
Variety—a subdivision of a [species], designated by a third name when a [variety] is designated.
Ventral—pertaining to the abdomen; as opposed to [dorsal], pertaining to the back.
Vertebrate—an animal having a backbone or spinal column.
Whorl—a single turn or volution of a coiled shell.
-zoic—combining form meaning “life” (Greek zoikos, life).
Zooecium (plural, zooecia)—tube or chamber occupied by an individual of the bryozoan colony; also called an autopore.