Protospongia
hicksi
Phylum Porifera,
Class Hexactinellida, Family Protospongiidae
Geological
Time: Early/Middle Cambrian (~520 million years ago)
Size: Fossils
are 3 to 14 mm across on a 280 mm by 160 mm matrix
Fossil Site:
Marjum Formation, House Range, Millard County, Utah
Fossil Archive
Code: CB63
|  Protospongia
hicksi belongs to the family Protospongiidae, which was a group
of early and primitive sponges of the Class Hexactinellida. It was
a stalkless sponge that was attached to the sea floor by long spines
at the base of the sponge. These spines are rarely preserved. The
cruciform spicules are quite diagnoistic; based upon the size of
the largest of the preserved examples, this one would have been
at least 100 mm in height. Sponges are relatively uncommon in the
fossil record owing to their delicacy. This specimen exhibits unusually
fine preservation .
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