Brachiopods from the Early Ordovician Cabrières biota, southern France: ecology and taphonomy

The Cabrières biota includes nine genera of brachiopods, generally well preserved but comprising a low-diversity assemblage compared with other elements of the biota. The following rhynchonelliformean genera have been identified: the orthoids Hesperonomia, Ocorthis, Paralenorthis, Nothorthis and Prantlina together with the plectorthoid Nanorthis. The linguliformeans are represented by species of Lingulella, Rafanoglossa and Sedlecilingula. The shells are commonly small and exhibit evidence of some post-mortem transport. Those living infaunally, such as the linguloids, are better preserved than the epifauna of orthoids and plectorthoids. The fauna is part of a high-latitude bioregion in the western part of Gondwana, including Bohemia, the greater Montagne Noire and Morocco.