UCMP MYSTERY FOSSIL #23 is . . .
Rhactorhynchia


UCMP Mystery Fossil Number 23

If you guessed “brachiopod,” you’re right. Rhactorhynchia is a rhynchonellid brachiopod. The earliest known rhynchonellids are from the Ordovician but the group was most abundant during the Mesozoic Era—in fact, they were the dominant brachiopod in the seas at that time. Only a few species of rhynchonellids are still around today. Read more about brachiopods here.
 

Credits button UCMP logo Copyright symbol