Early Middle Cambrian (Ordian) brachiopods of the Coonigan Formation, western New South Wales

A remarkable Amgan (Middle Cambrian, Stage 5) fauna from the Sauk Tanga, Madygen region, Kyrgyzstan

“…nov. bears a rectangular platform, which appears to be unknown from other Cambrian rhynchonelliform brachiopods. In contrast, the apex of Austrohedra is characterised by an apically elevated pseudospondylium (Roberts & Jell 1990). We interpret the platform observed in Austrohedra?…”

“…nov. is also similar to the genus Arctohedra Cooper, 1936, a genus previously accommodated within the protorthids (Williams & Harper 2000a), but now considered to be a basal clitambonitoid (Rubel 2007, Topper et al 2013. The genera Austrohedra and Arctohedra are almost identical externally, except for the cardinal extremities, which are acute in Arctohedra rather than obtuse, and the ventral valve, which may be procline to catacline in Arctohedra (Cooper 1936, Roberts & Jell 1990, Brock 1998, quite similar to that of Austrohedra? sp.…”

“…nov. Figure 9A broad, open notothyrium. Distinct differences between the two taxa exist in: 1) the inclination of the ventral interarea, which has been described as catacline to slightly apsacline in A. minima (Roberts & Jell, 1990) rather than steeply procline to catacline as in Austrohedra? sp.…”

“…-The genus Austrohedra was described by Roberts & Jell (1990) from the Middle Cambrian (Ordian) Coonigan Formation of New South Wales and placed in the family Eoorthidae Walcott, which was followed by Williams & Harper (2000b). The type species, A. mimica Roberts & Jell, 1990, is currently the only recognised species of this genus, but the two valves described below might represent a new species of Austrohedra or a new, closely related taxon.…”

Oldest glosselline linguliform brachiopod with soft parts from the Lower Cambrian of Yunnan, Southern China

“…Reexamination of Lingulella chengjiangensis in the Early Life Institute, Northwest University, Xi'an, clearly reveals that Lingulella chengjiangensis differs widely from that of members of the Subfamily Obolinae, including Lingulella (Lochman 1940;Bassett 1982;Holmer 1989;Roberts & Jell 1990;Brock & Cooper 1993;Holmer & Popov 2000;Sutton et al 2000;Holmer & Biernat 2002;Popov et al 2002a;Brock & Holmer 2004;Li & Holmer 2004;Mergl 2008;Mergl & Kordule 2008;Hansen & Holmer 2011). The new date on the pseudointerarea indicate that it can be referred to the Subfamily Glossellinae (Havlicek & Massa 1973;Holmer 1989;Havlicek 1998;Holmer & Popov 2000;Popov 2000) and Lingulella chengjiangensis is here referred to the new genus Eoglossa.…”