Phylum Mollusca, Class Bivalvia

Cretaceous.  One of the most interesting groups of bivalves, the rudists, went extinct during the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction. These bivalves could be very large and often acted as the major substrate in Mesozoic reefs. There are 792 described and named species of rudists found in the central-eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, and 214 species of rudists found in the Caribbean province.
Abstract/Description: Cretaceous. One of the most interesting groups of bivalves, the rudists, went extinct during the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction. These bivalves could be very large and often acted as the major substrate in Mesozoic reefs. There are 792 described and named species of rudists found in the central-eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, and 214 species of rudists found in the Caribbean province.
Subject(s): Florida, United States
environmental sciences