90 - Spirifer

Hello friends, Welcome to the  Fossil   Repository at the Department of Geology, Shivaji Science College, Nagpur. 

I am Spirifer, a genus of extinct brachiopodsI have a distinctive shell with fine ridges and intricate patterns on the exterior. These features helped me stay stable and maybe even blend into my ancient habitat. Inside my shell, one can  find a structure called a brachidium. This special feature supported my lophophore, a feeding organ I used for filter feeding. It helped me extract nutrients from the surrounding water. Like other brachiopods, I exhibit bilateral symmetry, with two halves of my shell mirroring each other. One can find my fossils in marine sedimentary rocks around the world, especially in regions that were once covered by ancient seas during the Paleozoic era.  I'm most abundant in fossiliferous deposits from the Devonian and Carboniferous periods, but some of my species persisted into the Permian. My fossils are often found  in limestone formations, shale deposits, and other marine sedimentary environments.  I was a filter feeder, meaning I obtained food particles by filtering them from the water using my lophophore. I likely played a role in the marine ecosystem by filtering plankton and other small organisms from the water column. My shell morphology and ornamentation may have provided some protection against predators and helped me blend into my environment. I lived during the Paleozoic era, particularly in the Devonian and Carboniferous periods, and some of my species even persisted into the Permian.

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