Orthotheca fossil map
Where fossils of Orthotheca have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 500 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 500 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Ediacaran & Cambrian life |
|---|---|
| Lived | 538.8–387.95 million years ago (Fortunian to Eifelian) |
| Periods | Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian |
| Family | Orthothecidae |
| Named by | (Novak 1886) |
| Fossil records | 12 occurrences at 10 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Mexico, Norway, Russia, Canada |
| Rock formations | Lower Comley, Langston, Skeels Corner Slate, Oelandicus Shale, Norretorp, Buelna |
About Orthotheca
Orthotheca is a genus of sessile bottom-dwelling hyolith.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Orthotheca (revision 1220011148), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q7104940.
