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

Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Strophomenata – Order: Strophomenida

(Articulate)

Ordivician to Lower Jurassic

Brachiopod on matrix

Paleozoic

North America

(Top view)

Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Strophomenata – Order: Productida

(Articulate)

Cambrian to Upper Jurassic

Brachiopod Neochonetes acanthophorus

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

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

Brachiopod Productacea (top view)

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

North America

Brachiopoda Articulate in Matrix

Productacea

Paleozoic

North America

(side view)

Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Rhynchonellata – Order: Orthida

(Articulate)

Lower Cambrian to Upper Permian

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 Cyrtospirifer rudkinense

Devonian

Voronez, Russia

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

Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Rhynchonellata – Order: Athyridida

(Articulate)

Lower Silurian to Lower Jurassic

Brachiopod Articulate

Athyridida

Paleozoic

North America

Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Rhynchonellata – Order: Atrypida

(Articulate)

Ordovician to Carboniferous

Brachiopod Atrypa

Devonian

North America

Phylum: Brachiopoda – Class: Rhynchonellata – Order: Terebratulida “Hole-borer”

(Articulate)

Silurian to Holocene

Brachiopoda Articulate

Terebratula

Jurassic

Inferior oolite Gloucestershire, England