Claraia is an extinct genus of scallop-like bivalve that lived from the Capitanian stage of the guadalupian to the Anisian stage of the Middle Triassic, 266-237 million years ago. Fossils have been found worldwide in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. These are common fossils subsequent to the Permian-Triassic boundary, suggesting that the genus experienced rapid diversification during and after the Permian–Triassic extinction event, around 251.9 million years ago, making it a Disaster taxon.
Ecology
Claraia may have been an opportunistic
genus that filled the
Ecological niche of many
Benthic zone such as
that were heavily impacted by the extinction. A narrowing of the
Byssus and a trend towards a smoother shell in species of
Claraia over time may have led to increased mobility. This increase in mobility may have been an advantage over more sessile animals during the extinction event.
[Feng, Qinglai; Gu, Songzhu; He, Weihong; Meng, Youyan; Weldon, Elisabeth A.; Wu, Shunbao; & Zhang, Fan (2007) A Late Permian to Early Triassic bivalve fauna from the Dongpan Section, Southern Guangxi, South China. Journal of Paleontology 81: 1009–1019.] It is thought to have lived in
anoxic waters at great depths, and therefore may have been better adapted for the
anoxic event that may have occurred during the Permian–Triassic extinction event.
External links
-
Claraia at The Paleobiology Database
