Resembling or having characteristics similar to Cyathophyllidae organisms, particularly the cup shape with internal leaflike ridges.
Combines Cyathophyllidae or cyathophyllum with -oid (resembling), allowing paleontologists to describe fossil structures that share some but not all features of true cyathophyllid corals.
The -oid suffix is paleontology's 'looks like but maybe isn't' marker—scientists use cyathophylloid when they find fossils that share some features with cup-corals but aren't sure about their full classification!
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