The Paleontology of North America

Ciliates from North America

What are Ciliates? The ciliates get their name from the presence of cilia, the short, hair-like structures that cover their cell surfaces. Although most ciliates have no hard parts and therefore rarely fossilize, some have a fairly good fossil record that extends back to the Ordovician. Some vase-shaped fossils from the Precambrian may have been made by a group of ciliates called chitinozoans.

First known fossil occurrence: Precambrian.

Last known fossil occurrence: Quaternary. This group has living relatives.

Fossils through time:
Choose a time period to see what life was like:

Quaternary
Tertiary
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
Permian
Carboniferous
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian
Precambrian