Color pattern on a martiniid brachiopod from South China

Abstract

More than 70 species of Paleozoic articulate brachiopods with color patterns have been reported in the literature (see Blodgett et al., 1983, table 1; Table 1). The majority of them are Devonian terebratuloid brachiopods. Twenty-two Permian brachiopod species were previously described as retaining color patterns. Most of them belong to Dielasma and have radial to subradial color patterns. Here we report a smooth spiriferid, Martinia? sp., with well-preserved radial color bands from Late Permian rocks of South China.