A fossil sea urchin or echinoid from the genus Cyclothurus, characterized by a more or less circular body shape with specific spine and plate arrangements.
From Greek 'kyklos' (circle) + Latin 'taurus' (bull, or referring to form), an older taxonomic name for round-bodied sea urchins found in paleontological records.
Fossil cyclothures tell us about ancient ocean floors and can be dated to specific geological periods, making them useful 'index fossils' that help paleontologists piece together Earth's history.
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