Rugosochonetidae

Rugosochonetidae is a family of brachiopods, a group of marine animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Rugosochonetidae is part of the order Chonetoidea, known for their distinctive, often ornate shell patterns.

Taxonomy

The family Rugosochonetidae was first described by the paleontologist Frederick R. C. Reed in 1944. It belongs to the superfamily Chonetoidea, within the class Strophomenata. The family includes several genera, such as Rugosochonetes, Eochonetes, and Parachonetes.

Morphology

Rugosochonetidae brachiopods are characterized by their rugose (wrinkled) shell surface, from which the family name is derived. The shells are typically biconvex, with both the ventral and dorsal valves being convex. The hinge line is straight and extends to the full width of the shell.

Fossil record

Fossils of Rugosochonetidae are found in marine strata from the Silurian to the Permian period. They are particularly abundant in the Devonian period. The wide distribution of these fossils indicates that Rugosochonetidae were once a successful and widespread family of brachiopods.

Ecology

Like all brachiopods, members of the Rugosochonetidae were filter feeders. They lived attached to the substrate in shallow marine environments, where they filtered small particles of food from the water with their lophophore, a specialized feeding organ.

See also

• List of brachiopod genera
• Paleontology
• Silurian
• Devonian
• Permian