Terebratula terebratula

Overview

Terebratula terebratula is a brachiopod with a shell made of two convex valves. It can be examined alongside the terebratulid construction of a beak, pedicle opening, and smooth surfaces. The shell and the standards defining its name are important research material.^[2][3]

Key facts

The official nomenclatural list connects the 1758 name Anomia terebratula with the neotype BM(NH)BG152. The record of a small specimen provides a reference for understanding an old name.^[2]

Time and place

The neotype plate caption records Pliocene material from Italy. The broad window of the recorded strata is summarized as roughly 7.2–1.8 million years ago. Specimens and literature convey the temporal background of the name.^[3][4]

The time range describes source context, not the complete duration of this species.

Size, form and skeleton

The terebratulid shells being compared have two convex valves, a beak, and a pedicle opening. Their surfaces are smooth, and growth lines are described. The whole outline and the small opening near the beak can be examined separately.^[3]

Three shells studied in Spain’s Guadix Basin measure about 3.9–4.7cm in length. These specimens were used to compare shell shapes.^[5]

Habitat and reproduction

How do the two convex valves join around the beak? Examining the shell’s overall outline together with the pedicle opening helps distinguish the structures surrounding the body. Different parts of the same shell provide clues for comparison.^[3]

Fossil discovery

The official list of names summarizes the relationship between neotype BG152 and the type species of the genus. A 2019 study discussed the species definition of Terebratula and problems involving related names. Old specimens and new interpretations raise questions about the basis of a name.^[2][1]

References

1. 2019 study — Discussion of species definitions in Terebratula
2. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature — Type specimen and name of Terebratula
3. Brachiopod classification literature — Neotype of Terebratula
4. Paleobiology Database — Age of fossil-bearing strata of Terebratula
5. Palaeontologia Electronica — Study of spiral deviations in brachiopod shells
6. Baliński1971 — Stringocephalus burtini from Poland

Research questions

What should serve as the reference when a species definition is reconsidered? The neotype, historical names, and material from related species can be compared together. The shape of one shell leads to broader questions of nomenclature.^[2][1]

Observation

Move your gaze from the outlines of the two convex valves to the beak and pedicle opening. Examining the smooth surfaces and growth lines helps compare the overall shell with its small features.^[3]