FOSSILS SPECIMEN: BRACHIOPODA
Fossils are defined as any evidence of prehistoric life. There are two types of fossils: Body Fossils include remains of skeletal bones, shell, carapace, test and teeth. Trace Fossils are clues the organism existed such as foot prints, tracks, burrows and coprolites (fossil dung).
The phylum Brachiopoda, more commonly called “brachiopods”, first apprear in the fossil record in the Cambrian Period over 500 million years ago. Although many orders of brachiopods went extinct during the Devonian and Permian extinction events, we can still find modern species, more commonly known as “lampshells” in today’s oceans.
Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Brachiopoda
Cambrian to Holocene
Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Lingulata – Order: Linguilida
(Inarticulate)
Cambrian to Holocene

Lingula
Cambrian-Recent
Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Strophomenata – Order: Strophomenida
(Articulate)
Ordivician to Lower Jurassic

Brachiopoda Linoproductus prattenianus
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopod Pyritized
Paleozoic
North America
(Top view)

Brachiopod on matrix
Paleozoic
North America
(Top view)
Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Strophomenata – Order: Productida
(Articulate)
Cambrian to Upper Jurassic

Brachiopod Linoproductus prattenianus
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas

Brachiopod Kutorginella lasallensis
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopod Neochonetes acanthophorus
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopod Pulchratia symmetrica
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopod Productacea (top view)
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
North America

Brachiopod Productacea (top view)
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
North America

Brachiopoda Articulate in Matrix
Productacea
Paleozoic
North America
(front view)

Brachiopoda Articulate
Productacea
Paleozoic
North America
(side view)

Brachiopoda Articulate in Matrix
Productacea
Paleozoic
North America
(side view)
Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Rhynchonellata – Order: Orthida
(Articulate)
Lower Cambrian to Upper Permian

Brachiopod Orthida
Cambrian-Permian
North America

Brachiopod Enteletes hemiplicatus
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas

Brachiopoda Rhipidomella carbonaria
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas
Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Rhynchonellata – Order: Spiriferida
(Articulate)
Upper Ordovician to Upper Permian

Brachiopod Meristina maria-roemeri
Lower Devonian
Parsons, Tennessee

Brachiopod Neospirifer Pyritized (front view)
Paleozoic
North America

Brachiopod Cyrtospirifer rudkinense
Devonian
Voronez, Russia

Brachiopod Eridmatus texanus
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopod Punctospirifer kentuckensis
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas

Brachiopod Eridmatus
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Rhynchonelliformea – Order: Rhynchonellida
(Articulate)
Upper Ordovician to Holocene

Brachiopod Articulate
Rhynchonellacea
Ordovician-Jurassic

Brachiopod Articulate
Rhynchonellacea
Ordovician-Jurassic

Brachiopod Articulate
Rhynchonellacea
Ordovician-Jurassic
Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Rhynchonellata – Order: Athyridida
(Articulate)
Lower Silurian to Lower Jurassic

Brachiopod Composita Ovata
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachipod Composita Ovata
Pennsylvanian
(Upper Carboniferous)
Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopod Articulate
Athyridida
Paleozoic
North America
Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Rhynchonellata – Order: Atrypida
(Articulate)
Ordovician to Carboniferous

Brachiopod Atrypa
Middle Devonian
Hamilton Group, Wanakah, New York

Brachiopod Atrypa
Devonian
North America

Brachiopod Atrypa
Devonian
North America
Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Rhynchonellata – Order: Terebratulida “Hole-borer”
(Articulate)
Silurian to Holocene

Brachiopod Articulate
Terebratulida
Devonian to Recent

Brachiopod Articulate
Terebratulida
Devonian to Recent

Brachiopoda Articulate
Terebratula
Jurassic
Inferior oolite Gloucestershire, England