Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: Animalia |
| Phylum: Brachiopoda |
| Class: Rynchonellata |
| Order: Spiriferida |
| Family: Elythidae |
| Genus: Elita |
| Species: Elita fimbriata (Conrad, 1842) |
Information
Geological Range
Paleogeographic Distribution
Stratigraphic Occurrences
References
Hall, J., 1867 (as Spirifera fimbriata): p. 214, pl. 33.
Wilson, K., 2014: pp. 112, 113.
Linsley, D., 1994: p. 202.
Remarks
Originally described as Delthyris fimbriata by Conrad in 1842. Recombined as Spirifer fimbriatus by Billings in 1861. Recombined as Reticularis fimbriata by Schuchert in 1897. Recombined as Elita fimbriata by Frederiks in 1918.
From Wilson (2014, p. 112): “Shell with hinge line less than shell width. Both valves strongly convex. Pedicle valve with rounded sinus and high, incurved beak. Brachial valve with distinct fold. Shell surface covered with regular array of tubercles or spine bases. To 25-35 mm.”
From Carlton Brett and Gordon Baird: A very distinctive brachiopod with surface covered in small spines; this is a long ranging (Emsian-Givetian, possibly Famennian?) Eastern Americas Realm species. It was generally though to have its last major occurrence in the paper part of the Tully Formation (West Brook Beds which was called the E. fimbriata Zone by Cooper and Williams (1935, GSA Bull.)). However, rare specimens of a reticularacean brachiopod nearly identical to E. fimbriata have recently been found in high Famennian strata in western Pennsylvania (G.C. Baird, unpublished data). Elita is characteristic of high diversity brachiopod and even coral-dominated assemblages of carbonates and calcareous mudstones (Pseudoatrypa-Megastrophia Biofacies of Brett et al., 2007, Palaios). However, occasional specimens are present in the mudstone facies of Tropidoleptus-Nucleospira and Athyris-Mediospirifer biofacies. It is rare in heavy siliciclastic facies. Probably a pedically attached epifaunal brachiopod, the function of the long spines is unclear, possibly to trap sediment and make the surface less attractive to predators; nonetheless, specimens of E. fimbriata with boreholes are not uncommon (Smith et al., 1985, Science).
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