An extinct genus of bryozoans from the Paleozoic Era, similar to Chaetetes, preserved as fossils in sedimentary rocks.
From Greek χαίτη (chaitē) meaning hair, plus -ites, a common suffix for fossils, meaning fossil hair-like organisms.
The -ites suffix used in paleontology literally marks something as ancient and preserved—when you say 'chaetites,' you're invoking millions of years of deep time in a single word.
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