WoRMS taxon details
Hyolitha †
1644013 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:1644013)
Marek, 1963
accepted
Class
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
fossil only
Marek, Ladislav. (1963). New knowledge on the morphology of Hyolithes. <em>Sborník geologických věd, řada Paleontologie.</em> 1: 63-72. [details]
WoRMS (2025). Hyolitha †. Accessed at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1644013 on 2025-05-09
Date
action
by
The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 License
Nomenclature
original description
Marek, Ladislav. (1963). New knowledge on the morphology of Hyolithes. <em>Sborník geologických věd, řada Paleontologie.</em> 1: 63-72. [details]
Taxonomy
taxonomy source
Marek, Ladislav; Yochelson, Ellis L. (1964). Paleozoic Mollusk: Hyolithes. <em>Science.</em> 146(3652): 1674-1675., available online at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.146.3652.1674 [details] Available for editors 
[request]
[request]Other
additional source
Devaere, L.; Clausen, S.; Álvaro, J. J.; Peel, J. S.; Vachard, D. (2014). Terreneuvian Orthothecid (Hyolitha) Digestive Tracts from Northern Montagne Noire, France; Taphonomic, Ontogenetic and Phylogenetic Implications. <em>PLoS ONE.</em> 9(2): e88583., available online at https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0088583 [details]
additional source Moysiuk, J.; Smith, M. R.; Caron, J.-B. (2017). Hyoliths are Palaeozoic lophophorates. <em>Nature.</em> 541(7637): 394-397., available online at https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20804 [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Li, L.; Skovsted, C. B.; Yun, H.; Betts, M. J.; Zhang, X. (2020). New insight into the soft anatomy and shell microstructures of early Cambrian orthothecids (Hyolitha). <em>Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.</em> 287(1933): 20201467., available online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7482263/ [details]
additional source Liu, F.; Skovsted, C. B.; Topper, T. P.; Zhang, Z.; Shu, D. (2020). Are hyoliths Palaeozoic lophophorates?. <em>National Science Review.</em> 7(2): 453-469., available online at https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz161 [details]
additional source Martí Mus, M.; Jeppsson, L.; Malinky, J. M. (2014). A complete reconstruction of the hyolithid skeleton. <em>Journal of Paleontology.</em> 88(1): 160-170., available online at https://doi.org/10.1666/13-038 [details]
additional source Marek, L.; Yochelson, E. L. (1976). Aspects of the biology of Hyolitha (Mollusca). <em>Lethaia.</em> 9(1): 65-82., available online at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3931.1976.tb00952.x [details]
additional source Moysiuk, J.; Smith, M. R.; Caron, J.-B. (2017). Hyoliths are Palaeozoic lophophorates. <em>Nature.</em> 541(7637): 394-397., available online at https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20804 [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Li, L.; Skovsted, C. B.; Yun, H.; Betts, M. J.; Zhang, X. (2020). New insight into the soft anatomy and shell microstructures of early Cambrian orthothecids (Hyolitha). <em>Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.</em> 287(1933): 20201467., available online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7482263/ [details]
additional source Liu, F.; Skovsted, C. B.; Topper, T. P.; Zhang, Z.; Shu, D. (2020). Are hyoliths Palaeozoic lophophorates?. <em>National Science Review.</em> 7(2): 453-469., available online at https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz161 [details]
additional source Martí Mus, M.; Jeppsson, L.; Malinky, J. M. (2014). A complete reconstruction of the hyolithid skeleton. <em>Journal of Paleontology.</em> 88(1): 160-170., available online at https://doi.org/10.1666/13-038 [details]
additional source Marek, L.; Yochelson, E. L. (1976). Aspects of the biology of Hyolitha (Mollusca). <em>Lethaia.</em> 9(1): 65-82., available online at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3931.1976.tb00952.x [details]
From editor or global species database
Editor's comment This record is to note the former existence of Hyolitha, and their uncertain relationships, but most Hyolitha taxa are not included, unless they have subsequently been re-classified to a modern taxon. From Devaere et al. (2014) "Hyoliths are fossil, marine, benthic organisms characterised by a conical calcareous conch closed by an operculum. They are restricted to the Palaeozoic and are particularly common and abundant in Cambrian strata. Despite their well-studied fossil record, their taxonomic and phylogenetic positions are still debated."The term Hyolitha was first used by Henningsmoen (1952) but not defined. Malek (1963) was the first to use and define Hylolitha as a higher classification for the fossils similar to Hyolithes. Malek & Yochelson (1964) give a summary of what was known at the time about Hyolitha and the unique supporting rods known as 'Helens' that Hyolithes possess. They placed Hyolitha as molluscs. Current thinking places Hyolitha either as an independent Lophotrochozoan group, and separate from the molluscs (Moysiuk et al. 2017) or places them back in the Mollusca (Li et al 2020) [details]
