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