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 – Class: Lingulata – Order: Linguilida

(Inarticulate)

Cambrian to Holocene

Lingula

Cambrian-Recent

Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – 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)

Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – 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)

Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – 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

Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia –  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 Cyrtospirifer rudkinense

Late Devonian (370 mya)

Voronez Region, Russia

Brachiopod Orthospirifer Oweni

Devonian

Silver Creek Limestone, Clark County, Indiana 

Brachiopod Orthospirifer Oweni

Devonian

Silver Creek Limestone, Clark County, Indiana 

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

Brachiopoda Crurithyris planoconvexa

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Rhynchonelliformea – Order: Rhynchonellida

(Articulate)

Upper Ordovician to Holocene

Brachiopod Articulate

Rhynchonellacea

Ordovician-Jurassic

Brachiopod Articulate

Rhynchonellacea

Ordovician-Jurassic

Brachiopod Articulate

Rhynchonellacea

Holocene

Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – 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

Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – 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

Domain: Eukarya – Kingdom: Animalia – 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

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