Latest Brachiopods Stories
Paleontologists agree that it's difficult to observe behavior in fossil specimens that are dead "“ even extinct "“ and petrified. One method is to find a modern, living, species that has some similarities to the ancient animal.That's the strategy adopted by David L. Meyer, University of Cincinnati professor of geology and colleagues as they study a group of ancient shellfish known as brachiopods. Although they resemble clams or other shelled mollusks, brachiopods are more closely related...
By Shen, Shu-Zhong Zhang, Yi-Chun ABSTRACT- The uppermost 5-15 m of the Douling Formation in the southern Hunan area. South China, yields a diverse fauna comprised of ammonoids, bivalves, and brachiopods. The brachiopods reported in this paper consist of 51 species in 34 genera and are dominated by the Lopingian (Late Permian) species associated with a few species persisting from the underlying Maokouan (Late Guadalupian). This fauna is of earliest Wuchiapingian in age as precisely...
By He, Weihong Shi, G R; Bu, Jianjun; Niu, Zhijun ABSTRACT- A new brachiopod fauna is described from the Early and Middle Permian of Zadoi and Zhidoi counties, southern Qinghai (Changdu block), northwest China. This fauna includes 13 species in nine genera with Spinomarginifera concentrica n. sp. and Transennatia waterhousei n. sp. The Early to Middle Permian brachiopod fauna from southern Qinghai is very similar to the contemporary Cathaysian faunas of South China with which the new fauna...
An ancient shellfish not seen for 425 million years is recreated in vivid 3D images published today, following a unique fossil find in the UK. The 'articulate brachiopod' fossil, found in a quarry in Herefordshire, England, is the first of its kind to be preserved with its soft parts intact in 3D. It was discovered by Dr Mark Sutton of Imperial College London, who reveals the structure of the clam-like organism using a 3D colour computer model in this week's Nature. Showing the internal...
New Haven, Conn. "“ A team of American and British scientists have identified and digitally reconstructed the first example of a fossilized brachiopod complete with its pedicle, the stalk attaching it to the sea floor, and its lophophore or feeding organ, according to a report in the journal Nature. Brachiopods, the so called "lamp shells," are rare today, but are some of the best known fossils from the Paleozoic era -- 542 to 251 million years ago. Our knowledge of these extinct...
Latest Brachiopods Reference Libraries
Sharpirhynchia sharpi is a species of extinct brachiopod named after fossil collector Samuel Sharp (1814-1882). This species lived during the Lower Bathonian of the Middle Jurassic Period. It is found only in the United Kingdom, and numerous specimens have been taken from several sites, the first from Limekiln Quarry in Northampton, England. S. sharpi is roughly a half-inch long, with a slender beak and 21 to 31 ribs fanning out from the hinge. This lampshell brachiopod lived life as a...
Mucrospirifer is a genus of extinct brachiopod of the order Spiriferida. This genus is sometimes known as the “butterfly shells.” Fossils of this genus occur mostly in the Middle Devonian strata. When alive, this genus mainly lived in muddy marine sediments, and were attached to the sea floor via its pedicle (foot). The bi-convex shell was about an inch long, and sometimes grew to 1.6 inches. The shell has a fold, groove and rod-like structure. It is elongated along the hinge line,...
Atrypa (lampshell) is an extinct genus of brachiopod from the Late Ordovician stage (444 million years ago) to the Carboniferous stage (318 mya). It occurs abundantly as fossils in marine rocks. Fossils have been found on all continents except Antarctica. This animal has distinctive concentric growth lines and is unusual in that in some Devonian beds there are numerous remains of the pedicle (foot) valve, but very few of the brachial (upper) valve -- scientists speculate that strong ocean...
