THE MYSTERIOUS CONULARIIDS
Conulariids are an enigmatic group of uncommon fossils that have puzzled paleontologists for a century and a half. Research has shown that they are most likely related to Cnidaria (the group that includes jellyfish, corals, and sea anemone). They are also a long-lived group and go as far back as the Ediacaran (approximately 635 mya), surviving numerous mass extinction events before going extinct toward the end of the Triassic period (245 mya) with 150 species. Conulariid fossils are found globally.