Micropilina Explained

Micropilina is a genus of monoplacophoran molluscs. They are very small, mostly deepwater animals which have a superficially limpet-like shell.

In addition to a number of living, deep-sea species, this genus also includes a shallow water fossil from the middle Pleistocene of Italy - and this is the only fossil representative of this lineage subsequent to the Devonian period.^[1]

All currently known Micropilina species are less than 1.5 mm in length. Except for Micropilina minuta, they are all found in the Southern Hemisphere.^[2]

Species

Species in the genus Micropilina include:

Recent species:

• Micropilina arntzi Warén & Hain, 1992
• Micropilina minuta Warén, 1989
• Micropilina rakiura Marshall, 1998
• Micropilina reingi Marshall, 2006
• Micropilina tangaroa Marshall, 1992
• Micropilina wareni Marshall, 2006

Fossil species:

External links

Interactive 3D model contained within PDF of 10.1093/mollus/eyq013. Ruthensteiner . B. . Schropel . V. . Haszprunar . G. . Anatomy and affinities of Micropilina minuta Warén, 1989 (Monoplacophora: Micropilinidae) . Journal of Molluscan Studies . 76 . 4 . 323–332 . 2010 . free .

Notes and References

1. M.. B.. F.. A fossil Cenozoic monoplacophoran. Taviani. Lethaia. 23. 2. 213–216. 1990. 10.1111/j.1502-3931.1990.tb01361.x. Sabelli. Candini. 1990Letha..23..213T.
2. Kano, Y., Kimura, S., Kimura, T. and Warén, A. (2012), Living Monoplacophora: morphological conservatism or recent diversification?. Zoologica Scripta, 41: 471-488.