5 NEW GENERA OF LATE ORDOVICIAN-EARLY SILURIAN BRACHIOPODS FROM ANTICOSTI ISLAND, EASTERN CANADA

Uninterrupted, similar to 800 m thick, Ashgill through Llandovery carbonate strata from Anticosti Island (eastern Canada) reveal five new brachiopod genera, enhancing present knowledge about the early evolution of the spire-bearing order Atrypida, spanning some 10.2 million years of time, and a global mass extinction crisis. New taxa include smooth-shelled forms such as the Late Ordovician genus Xysila, type X, astaca n, sp., and two new Early Silurian genera, Becscia, type B. scissura n. sp., and Cerasina, type C. pycnata n. sp. New costate genera include the Early Silurian reef-dwelling form Dihelictera, type D. acrolopha n. sp., and a deeper water inhabitant, Joviatrypa, type J. brabyla n. sp. For comparison with these new taxa, the spiralia and jugal processes of the type species of the Llandovery genera Protatrypa and Meifodia are illustrated and described for the first time.