Changes in the communities of Paleozoic brachiopods due to their development of their filtering system

Changhsingian (latest Permian) deep-water brachiopod fauna from South China

“…According to Afanasjeva (2009), the presence of crowded pseudopunctae might indicate the formation of a specialized and a muchexpanded mantle with ridges and pits on the mantle surface. The brachiopod mantle inside the shell is known to play an important role in transporting and capturing food, sorting particles, pumping water and aiding respiration (Grant 1968;Westbroek et al 1980;Thayer 1986;Afanasjeva 2008Afanasjeva , 2009. Therefore, it could be suggested that chonetid productid brachiopods with dense pseudopunctae could represent another morphological adaptation of Changhsingian deep-water brachiopods to a highly stressed marine environment characterized by limited food resources and/or oxygen supply.…”

“…All have small body size, and are thin-shelled, and bear moderately complex spirolophe lophophore structures inside their shells (Carter et al in Williams et al 2006). The spirolophe lophophore is considered to enhance the efficiency of filter-feeding or respiration of these brachiopods, especially for brachiopods living in deep-water environments where dissolved oxygen may be low and trophic resources limited (F€ ursich & Hurst 1974;Thayer 1986;Afanasjeva 2009). Thus, it is plausible that the small-bodied, thin-shelled and spirolophe lophophorebearing ambocoeliids were adapted to life in settings with low dissolved oxygen and limited trophic resources.…”

Systematics and palaeoecology of Changhsingian (Late Permian) Ambocoeliidae brachiopods from South China and implications for the end-Permian mass extinction

“…These brachiopods are characterized by small body size, thin shells, spines along their hinge lines and abundant radially arranged pseudopunctae in their shells. The presence of dense pseudopunctae is linked to the formation of a specialized mantle with ridges and pits on the surface (Afanasjeva 2009). This type of specialized mantle could have increased the area of mantle in brachiopods (see Williams et al in Williams et al 1997).…”

“…This type of specialized mantle could have increased the area of mantle in brachiopods (see Williams et al in Williams et al 1997). The brachiopod mantle inside the shell plays an important role in transporting and capturing food, accumulating and removing (pseudo-)faeces, sorting particles, pumping water and aiding respiration, based on observations of feeding in living brachiopods with ridges and pits on their inner shell surface (Grant 1968, Westbroek et al 1980, Thayer 1986, Afanasjeva 2008, 2009). Therefore, the brachiopods with the specialized mantle (enlarged mantle area) may have had more efficient nutrient intake and respiration rates.…”

“…Additionally, Ambocoeliidae brachiopods, like all other spiralia-bearing spiriferid brachiopods, contain a moderately complex lophophore inside their shell . The function of the lophophore structure has been considered to enhance the efficiency of filter-feeding or respiration of these brachiopods, especially so for brachiopod species living in deep water environments where dissolved oxygen may be low and trophic resources limited (Fu¨rsich & Hurst 1974, Thayer 1986, Afanasjeva 2009). Thus, it is plausible that the small-bodied and thin-shelled Ambocoeliidae species were adapted to life in a deep-water environment with low dissolved oxygen and limited trophic resources.…”