The Terebratulida

Chances are, if you have been lucky enough to actually see a living brachiopod, it was a representative of this group; terebratulids are the most abundant brachiopods today. Terebratulids first appear as fossils in the Devonian, as shown in the fossil range chart for brachiopods. Our representative terebratulid shown above is Oleneothyris, which lived during the Eocene. Terebratulids are responsible for the name of "lamp shells" for brachiopods; their shells resemble ancient oil lamps, with the pedicle foramen resembling a wick.

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