Early athyride brachiopod evolution through the Ordovician-Silurian mass extinction and recovery, Anticosti Island, eastern Canada

A new understanding of early athyride brachiopod evolution through the Ordovician-Silurian mass extinction and recovery on Anticosti Island, eastern Canada, has been revealed. The study reexamines four genera (Hindella, Cryptothyrella, Koigia, and Hyattidina) based on their internal structures, transferring them from Meristellinae to Hindellinae subfamily. Key findings include the identification of Elkanathyris pallulan as a posteriorly ribbed hindellide of Aeronian age and the discovery that Hindella became extinct during the last Ordovician mass extinction event, which also extinguished the Laframboise reefs. Post-extinction recovery was pioneered by small-shelled Koigia in the basal Silurian Becscie Formation. The research refines biostratigraphy around the O-S boundary and sheds light on the nature of this critical mass extinction event.

Copper, P., & Jin, J. (2017). Early athyride brachiopod evolution through the Ordovician-Silurian mass extinction and recovery, Anticosti Island, eastern Canada. Journal of Paleontology, 91(6), 1123–1147. https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2017.74