Micropilina is a genus of monoplacophoran molluscs. They are very small, mostly deepwater animals which have a superficially limpet-like shell.
Micropilina Temporal range:
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Monoplacophora |
Order: | Tryblidiida |
Superfamily: | Tryblidioidea |
Family: | Micropilinidae Haszprunar & Schaefer, 1997 |
Genus: | Micropilina Warén, 1989 |
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 in the genus Micropilina include:
Recent species:
Fossil species:
Interactive 3D model contained within PDF of Ruthensteiner, B.; Schropel, V.; Haszprunar, G. (2010). "Anatomy and affinities of Micropilina minuta Warén, 1989 (Monoplacophora: Micropilinidae)". Journal of Molluscan Studies. 76 (4): 323–332. doi:10.1093/mollus/eyq013.