Aquilithochitonaria, a research into allopolyploid species-mutations, with several subspecies, whhich are not yet validified. More information in the paper “Exploring the Taxonomy and Ecological Significance of Aquilithochitonaria Species: Implications for Future Fossils Research in the Context of Sea Level Rise” of IDiA in Futurofossils, Volume 84, Issue 02, May/ June 2024

The species Aquilithochitonaria serves as an example from the research branch on futurofossils of the Institute for Diachronic Artifacts (IDiA). As a fictional research platform for artifacts, materialities and identities from the future, IDiA collects and analyses objects and states of different origins and media of future scenarios and contextualizes them using archival methods. The platform serves as a tool for reflecting on current developments and constructions in society.

This current study investigates the taxonomy and ecological significance of the newly proposed class “Aquilithochitonaria,” comprising four distinct species within the Mollusca phylum. The taxa under examination—Polygonatus aquilithicus, P. chitronyx, P. turquisquama, P. viridochelis—are characterized by their armor-like polygonal shells, exhibiting a singular metabolic trait—engaging in copper consumption for energy acquisition and resilience enhancement through copper induction—distinguishing them as pioneering representatives of a novel evolutionary lineage. Their ecological role within their respective habitats is of interest as an actor in nutrient cycling, ecosystem dynamics, and potential symbiotic interactions in an anthropogenically influenced ecosystem.

Exhibition: Welcome to the Jungle, Keramion, 24.05. – 29.09.2025.