1. Small crustaceans with a bivalve shell, found in marine and freshwater environments; also called seed shrimp.
Usage: plural form; scientific/biological term; also used in singular as ostracod

Examples

• Ostracods are among the most abundant fossils in marine sediments.
• The paleontologist studied ostracods to understand ancient ocean conditions.
• Ostracods have existed for over 500 million years with relatively little change.
• These tiny ostracods are important indicators of water quality in freshwater lakes.
• The fossil record of ostracods provides valuable data for dating rock layers.