Acrothyra

Acrothyra; Temporal range: Miaolingian – ~506.5 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Brachiopoda
Genus:	†Acrothyra; Matthew, 1901
Type species
	Acrotreta proavia; Matthew, 1899

Acrothyra is an extinct genus of gregarious brachiopod that lived during the Middle Cambrian. Fossils of this genera can be found in Canada in formations such as the Burgess Shale and the Forteau Formation.

There are currently 253 specimens of Acrothyra that are known from the Greater Phyllopod bed, where they comprise 0.5% of the community.

Taxonomy

Species

This genus currently contains five described species. They are listed below:

Acrothyra bonnia Skovsted, Knight, Balthasar & Boyce, 2017
Acrothyra gregaria Walcott, 1901
Acrothyra minor Walcott, 1905
Acrotreta proavia (Matthew, 1899) (Type species)
Acrothyra sera Mathew, 1902

Description

Members of this genus have short apsacline ventral pseudointerarea with a triangular intertrough. The interior of the ventral valve is elongated with its apical process reaching about one-third of its valve length. It also has a triangular depression without apical pits.

References

1 2 Caron, Jean-Bernard; Jackson, Donald A. (October 2006). "Taphonomy of the Greater Phyllopod Bed community, Burgess Shale". PALAIOS. 21 (5): 451–65. Bibcode:2006Palai..21..451C. doi:10.2110/palo.2003.P05-070R. JSTOR 20173022. S2CID 53646959.
↑ https://www.gbif.org/species/search?rank=SPECIES&highertaxon_key=4864454&status=ACCEPTED&status=DOUBTFUL
1 2 Skovsted, Christian & Knight, I & Balthasar, Uwe & Boyce, DW. (2017). Depth related brachiopod faunas from the lower Cambrian Forteau Formation of southern Labrador and western Newfoundland, Canada. Palaeontologia Electronica. 54A. 10.26879/775.
↑ "Inarticulate Brachiopods of the Lower and Middle Cambrian Pioche Shale of the Pioche District, Nevada". https. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
↑ Landing, Ed & Johnson, Susan & Geyer, Gerd. (2008). Faunas and Cambrian Volcanism on the Avalonian Marginal Platform, Southern New Brunswick. Journal of Paleontology. 82. 884-905. 10.1666/07-007.1.

Notes

BABCOCK, L. E., R. A. ROBISON, M. N. REES, S. PENG, AND M. R. SALTZMAN. 2007. The global boundary stratotype section and point (GSSP) of the Drumian Stage (Cambrian) in the Drum Mountains, Utah, USA. :, 30(002):85-95.
MATTHEW, G. F. 1901. Acrothyra. A new genus of Etcheminian brachiopods. Nat. Hist. Soc. New Brunswick, Bull, 4:303-304.
ROWELL, A. H. 1966. Revision of some Cambrian and Ordovician inarticulate brachiopods.
YOCHELSON, E. L. 1961. The operculum and mode of life of Hyolithes. Journal of Paleontology:152-161.

External links

"Acrothyra gregaria" Archived 2017-08-10 at the Wayback Machine. Burgess Shale Fossil Gallery. Virtual Museum of Canada. 2011. (Burgess Shale species 17)

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[Caron2006-1] 1 2 Caron, Jean-Bernard; Jackson, Donald A. (October 2006). "Taphonomy of the Greater Phyllopod Bed community, Burgess Shale". PALAIOS. 21 (5): 451–65. Bibcode:2006Palai..21..451C. doi:10.2110/palo.2003.P05-070R. JSTOR 20173022. S2CID 53646959.

[2] ttps://www.gbif.org/species/search?rank=SPECIES&highertaxon_key=4864454&status=ACCEPTED&status=DOUBTFUL

[:0-3] 1 2 Skovsted, Christian & Knight, I & Balthasar, Uwe & Boyce, DW. (2017). Depth related brachiopod faunas from the lower Cambrian Forteau Formation of southern Labrador and western Newfoundland, Canada. Palaeontologia Electronica. 54A. 10.26879/775.

[4] "Inarticulate Brachiopods of the Lower and Middle Cambrian Pioche Shale of the Pioche District, Nevada". https. Retrieved 2026-05-13.

[5] Landing, Ed & Johnson, Susan & Geyer, Gerd. (2008). Faunas and Cambrian Volcanism on the Avalonian Marginal Platform, Southern New Brunswick. Journal of Paleontology. 82. 884-905. 10.1666/07-007.1.