Description of some new species of Cuvier's family of Brachiopoda / [William John Broderip].

  • Broderip, William John, 1789-1859
Date:
[1833?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Description of some new species of Cuvier's family of Brachiopoda / [William John Broderip]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    XVII. Descriptions of some new Species of Cuvier’s Family of Brachiopoda. By W. J. Broderip, Esq., Vice-Pres. of the Geological and Zoological Societies, F.R.S., L.S., 8fc. Communicated November 26, 1833. Among the great additions to our zoological information contributed by Mr. Cuming, some of the species about to be described will hold a distinguished place, in consequence of the opportunity which their preservation in spirit has afforded to my friend Mr. Owen for giving the details of the anatomy of Cuvier’s family of Brachiopoda, with that acuteness and accuracy which mark his researches. This family is, moreover, very interesting from its geological relations. The dif¬ ferent species of Terebratula assist in the identification of strata from the supracreta- ceous group to some of the lowest formations in the grauwacke series, both inclusive; Orbicula is said to have been found in the lower green-sand of Sussex, in the Speeton clay of Yorkshire, in both the great and the inferior oolite, in the carboniferous limestone, and in the Ludlow rock below the old red sandstone; and Lingula in the inferior oolite of Yorkshire, in the old red sandstone formation, and in other old fossiliferous beds. That the organization of the recent animals is the same with that of those species which lived and died thousands of years ago, there can be no doubt; and we may thus form some conclusion as to the nature of those most ancient seas wherein the fossils existed. Genus. Terebratula, Brug. 1. Terebratula Chilensis. Tab. XXII. Fig. 1. t. Ter. testa suborhiculari, gibba, albente, radiatim striata, striis latioribus, margine subcre- nulato, subflexuoso. Long. If poll., lat. 1-f-, crass, -f. Hab. in sinu Valparaiso. Mus. Cuming. This species varies much in size and appearance. In the older shells the radiated strive almost disappear; and very young individuals are nearly smooth and oblong; while those of intermediate growth have the strive strongly marked. The specimen of which the anatomy is given is a very young one, and the dimensions above recorded are those of the largest which I have seen. The length is taken from the ex¬ treme end of the perforation to the opposite rim, the breadth from an imaginary line u 2 f ?? Vj