SPIRIFERIDA (BRACHIOPODA) FROM THE DEVONIAN OF PARANÁ BASIN, BRAZIL

Abstract

Spiriferida was one of the most abundant orders of brachiopods in the Paleozoic. This order is recorded in the Devonian of the Paraná Basin, but there are still doubts about how many species of Australospirifer existed and about the occurrence of Pustulatia and Plicoplasia. To resolve this issue, the present article aimed to conduct a taxonomic review of the three genera mentioned here. The results are as follows: Australospirifer was a monospecific genus, represented only by A. hawkinsi; the occurrence of Plicoplasia was confirmed for layers from the Givetian onwards, but in older layers it is still doubtful; the occurrence of Pustulatia is probable, but due to poor preservation of the specimens, it was preferred to identify them with open nomenclature. The dispersion of Australospirifer from the Paraná Basin to the Parnaiba Basin and possibly of Pustulatia from the Amazonas and Parnaíba basins to the Paraná Basin are likely related to the Bakoven or Lower Kačák event, in the former case, and the Upper Kačák event, in the latter case. Finally, Pustulatia and Plicoplasia inhabited between the offshore transition and the shoreface, and Australospirifer inhabited the shoreface.