UPPER JURASSIC 
RHYNCHONELLID BRACHIOPODS FROM 
NORTHWESTERN EUROPE 
By ALAN CHILDS 
CONTENTS 
Page 
I. INTRODUCTION c - : : : - . . ; 3 
Previous Research . : ; : . : : c 4 
Il. Ecotocy ¢ : ¢ : : : : : : : 6 
III. GEOGRAPHICAL AND STRATIGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION , : 13 
IV. MorpHOLoGY ¢ : ; : ; : : - : 15 
V. SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIONS 
Genus Monticlarella. F ‘ F ‘ , P ‘ 19 
Lacunosella . : : : : : : é 28 
Rhynchonella. : c : : : < : 41 
Thurmannella . : : : : é - 45 
Acanthothiris : : : : ; ‘ 5 53 
Acanthorhynchia . : : - - - ‘ 63 
Somalirhynchia é : é . : : : 78 
Septaliphoria. : ‘ : . : - ; 85 
Torquirhynchia : é : : : : : 95 
“Rhynchonella’’ . C : ; : - - 107 
VI. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ‘ ‘ : : é : “ F 113 
VII. REFERENCES. : : - : : ; : : : 114 
SYNOPSIS 
The major part of this study comprises a systematic revision of most of the Upper Jurassic 
rhynchonellids of northwestern Europe. Thirty-five species belonging to the genera Monti- 
clarella, Lacunosella, Rhynchonella, Thurmannella, Acanthothivis, Acanthorhynchia, Somal- 
vhynchia, Septaliphoria, and Torquirhynchia gen. nov. are described. By using serial sectioning 
and acetate peel techniques, the internal structures of all but the rarest species have been in- 
vestigated and the majority of these are described and figured for the first time. New taxa in- 
clude six species, a subgenus, and a genus. 
Observations on ecology and distribution are given with the specific descriptions and separate 
sections are also included dealing with these aspects at generic level. 
INTRODUCTION 
In contrast to the many monographs describing the complete faunas of small areas, 
this study consists of the examination of a single order, the Rhynchonellida, over a 
wider region ; the author considering that this approach provides a much better 
basis for taxonomic as well as ecological and distributional studies. The rhyn- 
chonellid brachiopods are a morphologically diverse group and, although not 
numerous in the Upper Jurassic of the British Isles, they colonised a wide range of 
habitats in N.W. Europe during this period. 
