''Rhynchonella'' is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

brachiopod Brachiopods (), phylum (biology), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear e ...

known from the

Late Jurassic The Late Jurassic is the third Epoch (geology), epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time scale, geologic time from 161.5 ± 1.0 to 143.1 ± 0.8 million years ago (Ma), which is preserved in Upper Jurassic stratum, strata.Owen ...

( Oxfordian) to the

Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous (geochronology, geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphy, chronostratigraphic name) is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 143.1 ...

(

Valanginian In the geologic timescale, the Valanginian is an age or stage of the Early or Lower Cretaceous. It spans between 137.05 ± 0.2 Ma and 132.6 ± 0.2 Ma (million years ago). The Valanginian Stage succeeds the Berriasian Stage of the Lower Cretac ...

, possibly

Barremian The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale (or a chronostratigraphic stage) between 125.77 Ma (million years ago) and 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma (Historically, this stage was placed at 129.4 million to approximately 125 million years ago) It is a ...

). Formerly this genus was understood much more widely (more or less an equivalent of the

Rhynchonellida The taxonomic order Rhynchonellida is one of the two main groups of living articulate brachiopods, the other being the order Terebratulida. They are recognized by their strongly ribbed wedge-shaped or nut-like shells, and the very short hinge ...

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

in the present-day taxonomy) and less critical sources still list species of ''Rhynchonella'' from the

Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era, and the second of twelve periods of the Phanerozoic Eon (geology), Eon. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years f ...

to the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

. Like most brachiopods, ''Rhynchonella'' was a stationary

epifaunal Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and ''funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively r ...

suspension feeder Filter feeders are aquatic animals that acquire nutrients by feeding on organic matters, food particles or smaller organisms (bacteria, microalgae and zooplanktons) suspended in water, typically by having the water pass over or through a spec ...

Description

These 1.75 to 3.75 cm long articulate brachiopods are characterized by a triangular shell with a spherical profile, powerful ribs, a curved hinge line and a small umbo. The anterior margin shows a tongue like projection.Short notes on Shell, Spirifer, Rhynchonella and Terebratula
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Species

*'' Rhynchonella acuminata'' † Martin 1809 *'' Rhynchonella adrianensis'' † Gemmellaro 1899 *'' Rhynchonella boloniensis'' † (d'Orbigny, 1850) *'' Rhynchonella carapezzae'' † Gemmellaro 1899 *'' Rhynchonella carinthiaca'' † Bittner 1890 *'' Rhynchonella confinensis'' † Schellwien 1892 *'' Rhynchonella djeffarae'' † Dubar 1967 *'' Rhynchonella edwardsi'' † Chapuis & Dewalque 1853 *'' Rhynchonella eskiordensis'' † Moisseiev 1932 *'' Rhynchonella fraasi'' † Oppel 1861 *'' Rhynchonella granulum'' † Eichwald 1860 *'' Rhynchonella inflata'' † Jaboli 1959 *'' Rhynchonella jukesi'' † McCoy 1847 *'' Rhynchonella kochigataniensis'' † Tokuyama 1957 *'' Rhynchonella krotovi'' † Tschemyschew 1902 *'' Rhynchonella lacuna'' † Quenstedt 1871 *'' Rhynchonella langleti'' † Chapuis & Dewalque 1853 *'' Rhynchonella limbata'' † Schlotheim 1813 *'' Rhynchonella lingulata'' † Gabb 1864 *'' Rhynchonella loxia'' † Fischer von Waldheim 1809 *'' Rhynchonella maudensis'' † Whiteaves 1884 *'' Rhynchonella minuta'' † Buvignier 1843 *'' Rhynchonella miquihuanensis'' † Imlay 1937 *'' Rhynchonella misella'' † Bittner 1890 *'' Rhynchonella negrii'' † Gemmellaro 1899 *'' Rhynchonella paolii'' † Canavari 1880 *'' Rhynchonella paucicosta'' † Kitchin 1910 *'' Rhynchonella pauciplicata'' † Kitchin 1900 *'' Rhynchonella prona'' † Oppel 1861 *'' Rhynchonella pseudoazaisi'' † Dubar 1967 *'' Rhynchonella pugnus'' † Martin *'' Rhynchonella pupula'' † Bittner 1890 *'' Rhynchonella salinasi'' † Gemmellaro 1899 *'' Rhynchonella sosiensis'' † Gemmellaro 1899 *'' Rhynchonella subrimosa'' † Schafhauti 1851 *'' Rhynchonella tazerdunensis'' † Dubar 1967 *'' Rhynchonella texanus'' † Shumard 1859 *'' Rhynchonella wichmanni'' † Rothpletz 1892 *'' Rhynchonella withei'' † Gemmellaro 1899

References

*Frank H.T. Rodes, Herbert S. Zim en Paul R. Shaffer (1993) - Natuurgids Fossielen (het ontstaan, prepareren en rangschikken van fossielen), Zuidnederlandse Uitgeverij N.V., Aartselaar. ISBN D-1993-0001-361 Prehistoric brachiopod genera Llandovery first appearances Eocene genus extinctions Rhynchonellida Paleozoic life of Ontario {{Brachiopod-stub