Platystrophiidae

Classification
Phylum: Brachiopoda
Class: Rhynchonellata
Order: Orthida
Family: Platystrophiidae (Schuchert and LeVene 1929)
Cincinnatian genera: Vinlandostrophia

Geologic Range
Lower Ordovician (Arenig) – Middle Silurian (Wenlock)

Common Paleoecology
Platystrophiidae is an extinct family of stationary, epifaunal suspension feeders

Characteristics of the Family

  • Transversely subquadrate to semioval
  • Elongately oval ventral muscle scar
  • Blade-like brachiophores joined to hinge line by concave fulcra plates
  • Visually similar to spiriferid brachiopods rather than orthid
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Zuykov & Harper (2007):

  • Dorsibiconvex with Spirifer-like shells, uniplicate shell; interareas low, weakly concave in cross-section, ventral interarea apsacline, dorsal interarea anacline; radial ornament costate; lateral margins of ventral sulcus and dorsal fold not covered by costae; fine hollow spines of high density covering the entire shell surface except interareas; ventral interior with teeth supported by long subparallel dental plates to define thickened elongately oval muscle field; cardinalia of two types: with well-developed notothyrial platform or with sessile septalium; cardinal process simple, blade-like; median septum variously developed; dorsal muscle field quadripartite.

Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part H, Vol. 3 (2000):

  • Systematics
      Transversely subquadrate to semioval, dorsibiconvex, normally strongly uniplicate, medium-sized plectorthoids; interareas proportionally long and curved; teeth normally with crural fossettes supported by subparallel dental plates flanking poorly differentiated, elongately oval ventral muscle scar with broad adductor track impressed on thick callist, pedicle callist rarely preserved; divergent, bladelike brachiophores joined to hinge line by concave fulcra plates and supported by plates converging posteromedianly to form small septalium, cardinal process bladelike; scars of quadripartite dorsal adductor field variable in size, bisected by median ridge, mantle canal systems rarely impressed.

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Vinlandostrophia