Helcionelloida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Helcionelloida |
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| Latouchella costata | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | †Helcionelloida Peel, 1991 |
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and see text |
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The Helcionelloida were a group of extinct animals that lived a very long time ago. They are a special fossil mollusc class, which means they are related to modern animals like snails, clams, and octopuses. But unlike these living creatures, Helcionelloida no longer exist on Earth. We only know about them from their fossils.
These ancient creatures are super important because they were among the very first animals to have hard, mineralised shells. Imagine a tiny snail or clam, but from hundreds of millions of years ago! They are also the oldest known molluscs that had a shell. A scientist named Peel first described this group in 1991.
What are Helcionelloida?
Helcionelloida were small, ancient molluscs. They lived during a time called the Cambrian period and the early Ordovician period. This was about 541 to 470 million years ago! Their shells were often shaped like tiny caps or cones.
Their Unique Shells
The shells of Helcionelloida were made of hard minerals. This made them strong and helped protect the soft bodies of the animals inside. Having a hard shell was a big step in evolution. It allowed these creatures to survive better in the ancient oceans. Scientists study these shells to learn how early life developed.
Images for kids
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Yochelcionella cyrano
See also
In Spanish: Helcionellida para niños
