This paper investigates the shell-rich Llandovery strata of the Anticosti ramp and presents the orthide brachiopods which reached their evolutionary diversity acme and abundance in the Ordovician. It highlights the nine families of orthides which were lost at the end of the Ordovician, but discusses how some 16 families crossed the boundary (though mostly showing declines in the Silurian) and greatly expands the old locality register and enables the accurate placement of known and new species in a stratigraphic, evolutionary, as well as type locality framework.
Introduction. Stratigraphic Setting. The Early Silurian Orthide Brachiopod Fauna. Systematic Palaeontology. Family Glyptorthidae. Family Hesperorthidae. Family Platystrophidae. Family Wangyuiidae. Family Dalmanellidae. Family Heterorthidae. Family Platyorthidae. Family Rhipidomellidae. Family Draboviidae. Family Saukrodictyidae. Acknowledgements. References. Appendix.
Rongyu Li and Paul Copper are are both members of The Palaeontological Association.