Acrothyra

{{Short description|Extinct genus of brachiopods}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = Miaolingian – ~{{Fossil range|{{period start|Middle Cambrian}}}} | taxon = Acrothyra | authority = Matthew, 1901 | type_species = Acrotreta proavia | type_species_authority = Matthew, 1899 }}

'''''Acrothyra''''' is an extinct genus of gregarious brachiopod that lived during the Middle Cambrian. Fossils of this genera can be found in Canada in formations such as the Burgess Shale and the Forteau Formation.<ref name="Caron2006" />

There are currently 253 specimens of ''Acrothyra'' that are known from the Greater Phyllopod bed, where they comprise 0.5% of the community.<ref name="Caron2006">{{cite journal|last1=Caron |first1=Jean-Bernard|last2=Jackson |first2=Donald A.|title=Taphonomy of the Greater Phyllopod Bed community, Burgess Shale|journal=PALAIOS |volume=21 |issue=5 |pages=451–65|date=October 2006|doi=10.2110/palo.2003.P05-070R|jstor=20173022|bibcode=2006Palai..21..451C |s2cid=53646959 }}</ref>

== Taxonomy ==

=== Species === This genus currently contains five described species. They are listed below:<ref>https://www.gbif.org/species/search?rank=SPECIES&highertaxon_key=4864454&status=ACCEPTED&status=DOUBTFUL</ref>

#''Acrothyra bonnia Skovsted, Knight, Balthasar & Boyce, 2017''<ref name=":0">Skovsted, Christian & Knight, I & Balthasar, Uwe & Boyce, DW. (2017). Depth related brachiopod faunas from the lower Cambrian Forteau Formation of southern Labrador and western Newfoundland, Canada. Palaeontologia Electronica. 54A. 10.26879/775. </ref> #''Acrothyra gregaria'' Walcott, 1901 #''Acrothyra minor'' Walcott, 1905 <ref>{{Cite web |title=Inarticulate Brachiopods of the Lower and Middle Cambrian Pioche Shale of the Pioche District, Nevada |url=http://https//biodiversity.ku.edu[current-page] |access-date=2026-05-13 |website=https |language=en}}</ref> #''Acrotreta proavia'' (Matthew, 1899) (Type species) #''Acrothyra sera'' Mathew, 1902 <ref>Landing, Ed & Johnson, Susan & Geyer, Gerd. (2008). Faunas and Cambrian Volcanism on the Avalonian Marginal Platform, Southern New Brunswick. Journal of Paleontology. 82. 884-905. 10.1666/07-007.1.</ref>

== Description == Members of this genus have short apsacline ventral pseudointerarea with a triangular intertrough. The interior of the ventral valve is elongated with its apical process reaching about one-third of its valve length. It also has a triangular depression without apical pits.<ref name=":0" />

== References == {{Reflist}}

==Notes== * BABCOCK, L. E., R. A. ROBISON, M. N. REES, S. PENG, AND M. R. SALTZMAN. 2007. The global boundary stratotype section and point (GSSP) of the Drumian Stage (Cambrian) in the Drum Mountains, Utah, USA. :, 30(002):85-95. * MATTHEW, G. F. 1901. Acrothyra. A new genus of Etcheminian brachiopods. Nat. Hist. Soc. New Brunswick, Bull, 4:303-304. * ROWELL, A. H. 1966. Revision of some Cambrian and Ordovician inarticulate brachiopods. * YOCHELSON, E. L. 1961. The operculum and mode of life of Hyolithes. Journal of Paleontology:152-161.

== External links == * [http://burgess-shale.rom.on.ca/en/fossil-gallery/view-species.php?id=17 "Acrothyra gregaria"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810205737/http://burgess-shale.rom.on.ca/en/fossil-gallery/view-species.php?id=17 |date=2017-08-10 }}. Burgess Shale Fossil Gallery. Virtual Museum of Canada. 2011. (Burgess Shale species 17)

Category:Burgess Shale fossils Category:Prehistoric brachiopod genera Category:Fossil taxa described in 1901 Category:Paleozoic life of New Brunswick Category:Burgess Shale animals Category:Cambrian genus extinctions