An extinct marine organism from the Paleozoic Era, preserved as thin branching or zigzag marks in rocks, important for dating geological formations.
From Greek 'graphos' (writing, drawing) + 'lithos' (stone). Named for their appearance as if written or drawn on stone, these organisms fascinated early paleontologists.
Graptolites look like tiny writing in ancient rocks—geologists use them as 'index fossils' because they evolved rapidly and appeared worldwide, making them the ultimate time-markers for dating rocks from 500 million years ago.
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