EXOGYRA Meaning and
Definition
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Exogyra is a term used in paleontology to describe a genus of extinct marine bivalve mollusks that lived during the Cretaceous period, around 100 to 66 million years ago. The name "Exogyra" is derived from the Greek words "exo," meaning outside, and "gyra," meaning spiral, referring to the shell shape of these organisms.
Exogyra shells were typically large, with a distinctive spiral shape resembling that of a snail's shell. They had a coiled outer shell known as the whorl, which was strongly ribbed, while the inner shell was smooth. The shell had a bivalve structure, meaning it consisted of two symmetrical halves, or valves, hinged together. The shells of Exogyra could grow up to several inches in length and displayed variations in size and shape depending on the species.
These mollusks were primarily marine dwellers, inhabiting shallow, warm waters along coastlines and in tidal conditions. They preferred muddy or sandy substrates, attaching themselves to the bottom using a muscular foot and extending their siphons upward to filter feed on plankton and other organic particles in the water.
The fossil remains of Exogyra are commonly found in sedimentary rocks, particularly in the Gulf Coast region of the United States, and are important indicators for dating and interpreting ancient geological formations. Their abundance in the fossil record provides valuable insights into the paleoecology and evolutionary history of ancient marine environments.
Common Misspellings for EXOGYRA
- wxogyra
- sxogyra
- dxogyra
- rxogyra
- 4xogyra
- 3xogyra
- ezogyra
- ecogyra
- edogyra
- esogyra
- exigyra
- exkgyra
- exlgyra
- expgyra
- ex0gyra
- ex9gyra
- exofyra
- exovyra
- exobyra
Etymology of EXOGYRA
The word "Exogyra" has its etymology rooted in the ancient Greek language. It is derived from two Greek words: "exo", meaning "outside" or "external", and "gyros", meaning "circle" or "coil". When combined, these words create "Exogyra", which roughly translates to "external coil" or "outer circle" in Greek. The term was coined in reference to the distinctive coiled shape of the fossilized shells of the Exogyra genus of oysters.
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