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Spiriferide and spiriferinide brachiopods from the Frasnian (Upper Devonian) of the Bergisches Land, Germany

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Abstract

The Refrath Formation in the Bergisches Land, Germany, is an important stratigraphic unit for the study of Frasnian brachiopods. Nevertheless, few studies have been undertaken concerning its spiriferide and spiriferinide brachiopods (Cyrtospiriferidae, Verneuiliidae and Cyrtinidae). In this paper, three species representing, respectively, the above families, Cyrtospirifer cuspidatus (d’Archiac and de Verneuil, 1842), Verneuilia cheiropteryx (d’Archiac and de Verneuil, 1842), and Cyrtina bouchardi Brice, 1988, are described from this region for the first time. The first serial transverse sections of Verneuilia cheiropteryx show that the species has well-developed dental plates, contrary to previous consensus; it lacks true crural plates, which is different from typical members of the Ambocoelioidea George, 1931. The presence of this species in the Refrath Fm. demonstrates that it is a Frasnian brachiopod, rather than of Middle Devonian (Givetian) age, as previously considered. The ventral median septum of Cyrtina bouchardi supports and penetrates into the deep spondylium, becoming trifurcate anteriorly. Cyrtospirifer cuspidatus is internally characterized by a well-developed ctenophoridium (cardinal process) and a pair of rudimentary crural plates (crural bases) in the dorsal valve and a deeply sunk delthyrial plate and a pair of divergent dental plates (becoming parallel anteriorly) in the ventral valve.

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Fig. 1

modified from Stoppel et al. 2006: fig. 1 and Königshof et al. 2016: fig. 5) and sample locations in the Bergisch Gladbach area, Germany (base map of b from Mapcarta website https://mapcarta.com/N248613292/Map)

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Acknowledgements

We greatly appreciate the insightful comments and suggestions of Ulrich Jansen (Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Frankfurt a. M.) and Adam T. Halamski (Institute of Paleobiology, Warsaw) in their careful reviews of the manuscript. B. Mottequin (Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelles) is thanked for communication about a reference publication. This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants Nos. 41872003 and 42072042) and the Strategic Priority Research Program (B) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDB26010506).

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  1. Volker Ebbighausen: Deceased.

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  1. The Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Department of Geology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    Yi-Ning Wang & Xue-Ping Ma

  2. Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 24, 48149, Münster, Germany

    R. Thomas Becker

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Wang, YN., Ma, XP., Ebbighausen, V. et al. Spiriferide and spiriferinide brachiopods from the Frasnian (Upper Devonian) of the Bergisches Land, Germany. PalZ 97, 19–35 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-022-00635-5

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