How Do You Spell MICRASTER?

Pronunciation: [mˈɪkɹastə] (IPA)

The word Micraster is a genus of sea urchins from the family Micrasteridae. In IPA phonetic transcription, it is pronounced as /maɪˈkræstər/. The first syllable "mic" is pronounced as /maɪk/ with a long "i" sound followed by a hard "c" sound. The second syllable "ras" is pronounced as /ræs/ with a short "a" sound followed by an "s" sound, and the final syllable "ter" is pronounced as /tər/ with a schwa sound followed by an "r" sound. Together, the word Micraster is spelled phonetically as per the sound of each syllable.

MICRASTER Meaning and Definition

1. Micraster is a term used to refer to a genus of extinct echinoids, which are spiny sea urchins or starfish-like organisms that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, around 85 to 65 million years ago. Being one of the most well-known fossil echinoids, Micraster is characterized by its round to oval-shaped test, which is the hard outer skeleton covering its body. The test is made up of plates or ossicles, and in the case of Micraster, these plates are intricately patterned and covered in small tubercles or bumps.

   Micraster typically had a flattened, disc-like shape with a central mouth and anus, surrounded by five bands of pores known as ambulacra, which served as the pathways through which the tube feet extended to capture food and move. These tube feet were used for both locomotion and feeding, aiding Micraster in digging or crawling along the ocean floor.

   Micraster fossils are commonly found in chalk deposits, particularly in Europe, such as in southern England. Their abundance and the well-preserved condition of many of these fossils have made Micraster an important index fossil for dating and correlating marine sediments from the Late Cretaceous period, providing valuable insights into ancient marine ecosystems and paleoenvironments.

   Overall, Micraster is a distinctive genus of fossil echinoid, widely studied by paleontologists for its significance in geology, biostratigraphy, and paleoecology, offering valuable information about the ancient seas and the life forms that once inhabited them.

2. In geol., a genus of sea-urchins abounding in the chalk, and so termed from the star-like arrangement of its small or incomplete ambulacral furrows.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for MICRASTER

• nicraster
• kicraster
• jicraster
• mucraster
• mjcraster
• mkcraster
• mocraster
• m9craster
• m8craster
• mixraster
• mivraster
• mifraster
• midraster
• miceaster
• micdaster
• micfaster
• mictaster
• mic5aster
• mic4aster
• micrzster

Etymology of MICRASTER

The word "Micraster" is derived from Greek roots. "Micro" means small, and "aster" means star in Greek. Therefore, the name Micraster can be translated as "small star". This name was given to a genus of extinct sea urchins that lived during the Cretaceous period.