Chonetinella uralica (Moeller, 1862)
Click on pictures to magnify
Discussion:
A small chonetid brachiopod with highly curved shells,
developed
mostly in the mid portion of the valve, and many distinct ribs.
Viewer Comments:
This is the most common chonetid species at the Gzhel
quarry
(Afanasjeva, 1975) and ranges from the Kasimovian to Gzhelian stages.
It was first described from an occurrence in the southern Urals and
is well described in a later report by Afanasjeva (1975).
The side view image shows a specimen with its outermost
layer broken
off, revealing a yellow and white zone of silica containing beekite
rings. This type of silicification, where silica replaces internal
shell and leaves a thin layer of calcit shell on the outer surface is
common in brachiopods of the Gzhel quarry site.
Tom Yancey
