Abstract
A review of the Late Ordovician, chiefly mid-Ashgillian, to Early Silurian, Llandoverian, pentameroidean brachiopods, the Virgianidae, permits them to be assigned to three subfamilies (Virgianinae [10 genera assigned], Mariannaellinae [5 genera assigned], Pleurodiinae [2 genera assigned]). Diagnoses are presented for each subfamily, with comments on diagnostic characters for each genus and species. All the genera occur in what are interpreted to have been relatively low latitude, warm water environments in Arctic North America, northern Europe, northern Asia, central Asia and South China; the presence of Australian Ordovician virgianids is uncertain at this time. The mid-Ashgillian pentameroid adaptive radiation was followed by latest Ordovician mass extinction, subsequently surviving recovery and radiation in the middle-Late Llandovery. Silurian radiations convergently mimicked the Ordovician event in many respects.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.