Silurian brachiopods with soft-tissue preservation.
'Articulated' rhynchonelliformean brachiopods are abundant shelly fossils, but the direct fossil record of their soft parts was hitherto confined to a single pyritized trace possibly representing a lophophore. Anatomical knowledge of extinct rhynchonelliformeans relies heavily on analogies...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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2005
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| _version_ | 1797085989191024640 |
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| author | Sutton, MD Briggs, D Siveter, D Siveter, D |
| author_facet | Sutton, MD Briggs, D Siveter, D Siveter, D |
| author_sort | Sutton, MD |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | 'Articulated' rhynchonelliformean brachiopods are abundant shelly fossils, but the direct fossil record of their soft parts was hitherto confined to a single pyritized trace possibly representing a lophophore. Anatomical knowledge of extinct rhynchonelliformeans relies heavily on analogies to extant species; these analogies are untested for stem-group clades. The Silurian Herefordshire (UK) Konservat-Lagerstätte (about 425 Myr bp) yields exceptionally preserved three-dimensional fossils that provide unrivalled insights into the palaeobiology of a variety of invertebrates. The fossils are preserved as calcitic void in-fills in carbonate concretions within a volcaniclastic horizon, and are reconstructed digitally. Here we describe a stem-group rhynchonelliformean specimen from this deposit; it most probably belongs in the order Orthida. A robust ridged pedicle with distal rootlets is preserved, together with a lophophore and other soft-tissue structures. The pedicle morphology is novel, urging caution in inferring stem-group rhynchonelliformean anatomy from that of crown-group species. Smaller brachiopods are attached to the specimen; these include a probable atrypide, with pedicle and marginal setae preserved. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:15:37Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:a222e793-801f-44aa-a3a1-b62ff31c83e0 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:15:37Z |
| publishDate | 2005 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:a222e793-801f-44aa-a3a1-b62ff31c83e02022-03-27T02:18:04ZSilurian brachiopods with soft-tissue preservation.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:a222e793-801f-44aa-a3a1-b62ff31c83e0EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2005Sutton, MDBriggs, DSiveter, DSiveter, D'Articulated' rhynchonelliformean brachiopods are abundant shelly fossils, but the direct fossil record of their soft parts was hitherto confined to a single pyritized trace possibly representing a lophophore. Anatomical knowledge of extinct rhynchonelliformeans relies heavily on analogies to extant species; these analogies are untested for stem-group clades. The Silurian Herefordshire (UK) Konservat-Lagerstätte (about 425 Myr bp) yields exceptionally preserved three-dimensional fossils that provide unrivalled insights into the palaeobiology of a variety of invertebrates. The fossils are preserved as calcitic void in-fills in carbonate concretions within a volcaniclastic horizon, and are reconstructed digitally. Here we describe a stem-group rhynchonelliformean specimen from this deposit; it most probably belongs in the order Orthida. A robust ridged pedicle with distal rootlets is preserved, together with a lophophore and other soft-tissue structures. The pedicle morphology is novel, urging caution in inferring stem-group rhynchonelliformean anatomy from that of crown-group species. Smaller brachiopods are attached to the specimen; these include a probable atrypide, with pedicle and marginal setae preserved. |
| spellingShingle | Sutton, MD Briggs, D Siveter, D Siveter, D Silurian brachiopods with soft-tissue preservation. |
| title | Silurian brachiopods with soft-tissue preservation. |
| title_full | Silurian brachiopods with soft-tissue preservation. |
| title_fullStr | Silurian brachiopods with soft-tissue preservation. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Silurian brachiopods with soft-tissue preservation. |
| title_short | Silurian brachiopods with soft-tissue preservation. |
| title_sort | silurian brachiopods with soft tissue preservation |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT suttonmd silurianbrachiopodswithsofttissuepreservation AT briggsd silurianbrachiopodswithsofttissuepreservation AT siveterd silurianbrachiopodswithsofttissuepreservation AT siveterd silurianbrachiopodswithsofttissuepreservation |