Abstract
‘Articulated’ rhynchonelliformean1 brachiopods are abundant shelly fossils, but the direct fossil record of their soft parts was hitherto confined to a single pyritized trace possibly representing a lophophore2. Anatomical knowledge of extinct rhynchonelliformeans relies heavily on analogies to extant species; these analogies are untested for stem-group clades. The Silurian Herefordshire (UK) Konservat-Lagerstätte3 (about 425 Myr bp) yields exceptionally preserved three-dimensional fossils that provide unrivalled insights into the palaeobiology of a variety of invertebrates4,5,6,7,8,9. The fossils are preserved as calcitic void in-fills in carbonate concretions within a volcaniclastic horizon10, and are reconstructed digitally11. Here we describe a stem-group rhynchonelliformean specimen from this deposit; it most probably belongs in the order Orthida. A robust ridged pedicle with distal rootlets is preserved, together with a lophophore and other soft-tissue structures. The pedicle morphology is novel, urging caution in inferring stem-group rhynchonelliformean anatomy from that of crown-group species. Smaller brachiopods are attached to the specimen; these include a probable atrypide, with pedicle and marginal setae preserved.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Williams, A., Carlson, S. J. & Brunton, C. H. C. in Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology Part H, Revised, Vol. 2 (ed. Kaesler, R. L.) 1–28 (Geol. Soc. Am., Boulder, and Univ. Kansas, Lawrence, 2000)
Racheboeuf, P. R. & Copper, P. The mesolophe, a new lophophore type for chonetacean brachiopods. Lethaia 23, 341–346 (1990)
Briggs, D. E. G., Siveter, David J. & Siveter, Derek J. Soft-bodied fossils from a Silurian volcaniclastic deposit. Nature 382, 248–250 (1996)
Sutton, M. D., Briggs, D. E. G., Siveter, David J. & Siveter, Derek J. An exceptionally preserved vermiform mollusc from the Silurian of England. Nature 410, 461–463 (2001)
Sutton, M. D., Briggs, D. E. G., Siveter, David J. & Siveter, Derek J. A three-dimensionally preserved fossil polychaete worm from the Silurian of Herefordshire, England. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 268, 2355–2363 (2001)
Sutton, M. D., Briggs, D. E. G., Siveter, David J., Siveter, Derek J. & Orr, P. J. The arthropod Offacolus kingi (Chelicerata) from the Silurian of Herefordshire, England: computer based morphological reconstructions and phylogenetic affinities. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 269, 1195–1203 (2002)
Siveter, David J., Sutton, M. D., Briggs, D. E. G. & Siveter, Derek J. An ostracode crustacean with soft parts from the Lower Silurian. Science 302, 1749–1751 (2003)
Briggs, D. E. G., Sutton, M. D., Siveter, David J. & Siveter, Derek J. A new phyllocarid (Crustacea: Malacostraca) from the Silurian Fossil-Lagerstätte of Herefordshire, UK. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 271, 131–138 (2004)
Siveter, Derek J., Sutton, M. D., Briggs, D. E. G. & Siveter, David J. A Silurian sea spider. Nature 431, 978–980 (2004)
Orr, P. J., Briggs, D. E. G., Siveter, David J. & Siveter, Derek J. Three-dimensional preservation of a non-biomineralized arthropod in concretions in Silurian volcaniclastic rocks from Herefordshire, England. J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 157, 173–186 (2000)
Sutton, M. D., Briggs, D. E. G., Siveter, David J. & Siveter, Derek J. Methodologies for the visualization and reconstruction of three-dimensional fossils from the Silurian Herefordshire lagerstätte. Paleontol. Electron. 4 http://palaeo-electronica.org/2001_1/s2/issue1_01.htm (2001)
Rudwick, M. J. S. Living and Fossil Brachiopods (Hutchinson, London, 1970)
Bassett, M. G. in Autoecology of Silurian Organisms (eds Bassett, M. G. & Lawson, J. D.) 237–263 (Spec. Pap. Palaeontol. 32, 1984).
Zhang, Z., Han, J., Zhang, X., Liu, J. & Shui, D. Soft-tissue preservation in the Lower Cambrian linguloid brachiopod from South China. Acta Palaeontol. Pol. 49, 259–266 (2004)
Emig, C. C. Functional disposition of the lophophore in living Brachiopoda. Lethaia 25, 291–302 (1992)
Williams, A., Brunton, C. H. C. & MacKinnon, D. I. in Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology Part H, Revised, Vol. 1 (ed. Kaesler, R. L.) 321–422 (Geol. Soc. Am., Boulder, and Univ. Kansas, Lawrence, 1997)
Walcott, C. D. A fossil Lingula preserving the cast of the peduncle. Proc. US Natl Mus. 11, 480 (1888)
Davidson, T. A monograph of British fossil brachiopods. Palaeontol. Soc. Monogr. 4, 103–109 (1874)
Bartels, C. & Poschmann, M. Linguloid brachiopods with preserved pedicles: Occurrence and taphonomy (Hunsrück Slate, Lower Emsian, Kaub Formation, Rhenish Massif, SW Germany). Metalla 9, 123–130 (2002)
Rowell, A. J. & Caruso, N. E. The evolutionary significance of Nisusia sulcata, an early articulate brachiopod. J. Paleontol. 59, 1227–1242 (1985)
Cohen, B. J., Holmer, L. E. & Lüter, C. The brachiopod fold: a neglected body plan hypothesis. Palaeontology 46, 59–65 (2003)
Bromley, R. G. & Surlyk, F. Borings produced by brachiopod pedicles, fossil and Recent. Lethaia 6, 349–365 (1973)
Richardson, J. R. in Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology Part H, Revised, Vol. 1 (ed. Kaesler, R. L.) 441–462 (Geol. Soc. Am., Boulder, and Univ. Kansas, Lawrence, 1997)
Williams, A., James, M. A., Emig, C. C., Mackay, S. & Rhodes, M. C. in Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology Part H, Revised, Vol. 1 (ed. Kaesler, R. L.) 7–188 (Geol. Soc. Am., Boulder, and Univ. Kansas, Lawrence, 1997)
Acknowledgements
We thank K. Saunders for technical assistance; T. Wright, M. Bassett, L. Holmer and L. Popov for comments; and R. Fenn, T. Hall and J. Sinclair for general assistance. This work was supported by the Leverhulme Trust, NERC and English Nature.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
Reprints and permissions information is available at npg.nature.com/reprintsandpermissions. The authors declare no competing financial interests.
Supplementary information
Supplementary Video S1
Rotating animation of OUM C. 29586 with associated epifauna (OUM C.29589-29593).
Supplementary Video S2
Rotating animation of OUM C. 29586 with ventral pedicle, ventral valve and epifauna removed (posterior mass also removed for part of animation)
Supplementary Notes
Extended discussion of the systematic position of Bethia serraticulma.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sutton, M., Briggs, D., Siveter, D. et al. Silurian brachiopods with soft-tissue preservation. Nature 436, 1013–1015 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03846
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03846
This article is cited by
-
The role of volcanic-derived clays in the preservation of Ediacaran biota from the Itajaí Basin (ca. 563 Ma, Brazil)
Scientific Reports (2021)
-
Palaeoecology of Voulteryon parvulus (Eucrustacea, Polychelida) from the Middle Jurassic of La Voulte-sur-Rhône Fossil-Lagerstätte (France)
Scientific Reports (2019)
-
Talexirhynchia, a new rhynchonellid genus from the Jurassic Ethiopian Province of Jordan
Paläontologische Zeitschrift (2015)
-
Brachiopods hitching a ride: an early case of commensalism in the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale
Scientific Reports (2014)
-
Leonispirifer leonensis gen. et sp. nov., a rare new delthyridoid spiriferid brachiopod from northern Spain (Brachiopoda, Lower Devonian)
Paläontologische Zeitschrift (2010)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.