Silicified Late Cambrian brachiopods from the Georgina Basin, western Queensland

Abstract

Two species of brachiopod are recorded from the Upper Cambrian Chatsworth Limestone of western Queensland. Kozhuchinella, previously only known from supposed Upper Tremadoc rocks of southwest Siberia, is documented for the first time from Australia as Kozhuchinella cf. mariinica Severgina, 1967. This species exhibits digitate ventral and dorsal mantle canal systems, the latter unusual in possessing blind vascula myaria. The musculature and mantle canal systems indicate that the species belongs to the Billingsellidae and not the Plectambonitoidea as originally suggested by Severgina. Also documented is a new genus, Radkeina (type species R. taylori sp. nov.), tentatively assigned to the Family Huenellidae.