Graptolites are a type of colonial marine animal that developed in the Cambrian oceans. A Graptolite colony is made of many singular zooids that asexually reproduce to make more zooids. The Graptolites of old formed somewhat complex structures that initially left paleontologists head scratching, as they often resembled a pair of thin saw blades connected at one end. They also often have a shiny appearance like graphite pencil markings (the name Graptolites means “writing in the rocks”). It was not until scientists were able to remove the fossil from the rock that they could learn more about its shape and what it was actually made of.
Graptolites are a type of colonial marine animal that developed in the Cambrian oceans. A Graptolite colony is made of many singular zooids that asexually reproduce to make more zooids. The Graptolites of old formed somewhat complex structures that initially left paleontologists head scratching, as they often resembled a pair of thin saw blades connected at one end. They also often have a shiny appearance like graphite pencil markings (the name Graptolites means “writing in the rocks”). It was not until scientists were able to remove the fossil from the rock that they could learn more about its shape and what it was actually made of.