Geology / Gallery

Atrypa reticularis

Atrypa Reticularis is by far the most common brachiopod that can be found in the Wenlock Limestone, it survived some 100 million years from the Silurian through to the Devonian so can be assumed to have been a remarkably hardy creature.

In section you can sometimes see the spiral shape brachidium - a long loop calcareous ribbon used by the animal to filter the water for food particles.

The specimen was found in the Wenlock Limestone at Farley quarry, near Much Wenlock. Other specimens from the nearby Shadwell Quarry have noticeably wider "wings" and a thicker shell may indicate rather choppier waters than at Farley, yet another indication as to their adaptivity. These little nuggets of antiquity can be found by the bucket load in the Wenlock Limestone, happy hunting!

Division Name

Phylum Brachiopoda

SubPhylum Rhynchonelliformea

Class Rhynchonellata

Order Atrypida

This specimen was kindly photographed for us by Merlin

Fossil gallery