description Toxaster retusus Overview
Toxaster retusus is an extinct Cretaceous heart urchin species in Toxaster, a deposit-feeding irregular echinoid genus of shallow marine sediments.
help Toxaster retusus FAQ
Is Toxaster retusus a living sea urchin or a fossil?
Toxaster retusus is an extinct Early Cretaceous heart urchin, not a living species. The name is attributed to Lamarck in 1816.
Which part of the Cretaceous did Toxaster retusus live in?
Fossil records place Toxaster retusus in the Lower Cretaceous, including the Hauterivian stage. It is associated with shallow marine deposits from the former northwestern Tethyan margin.
How did Toxaster retusus feed?
Like other irregular spatangoid heart urchins, it lived partly buried in sediment and fed as a deposit feeder. Its diet would have consisted of organic material and detritus in the seafloor sediment.
What does a Toxaster retusus fossil look like?
The test is an elongated, bilaterally symmetrical heart-urchin form rather than a round regular sea-urchin shape. Petal-like ambulacra, which are rows of pores, are visible on the upper surface.
explore Explore More
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
