Terebratula hantonensis
Terebratula hantonensis
View age-specific evidence and explanation
There are no currently eligible, unambiguously age-indexed published Occurrences for this Species. This does not indicate absence or rarity.
These counts describe published LBPS Occurrence records with directly assigned, unambiguous geological-unit mappings—not specimen abundance. Records at restricted Localities and ambiguous or unsupported ages are excluded. Species-level age labels are not used as proof of an age-specific Occurrence.
Specimen-based rarity requires comparable, correctly identified physical fossils, geological provenance and publication permissions. It does not estimate your chance of finding a fossil or collecting access.
Quick Identification
Look for: a smooth to weakly ornamented, biconvex terebratulid shell with a prominent beak and pedicle opening; do not use the old genus name alone as an identification character.
Summary
Terebratula hantonensis represents a terebratulid brachiopod: a pedicle-attached, sessile suspension feeder enclosed by two calcitic valves. The lophophore generated feeding currents inside the shell while the pedicle fixed the animal to a hard object on or within the muddy sea-floor environment.
The London Clay occurrence is historically recognised, but the generic placement deserves modern review. For public interpretation it is safest to describe the organism as a terebratulid lampshell while preserving the historical species record until a specialist revision establishes whether a different genus should be used.
Diagnostic Features
- Shell articulate and strongly biconvex.
- Ventral valve develops a prominent beak with a pedicle foramen.
- Exterior comparatively smooth, dominated by growth lines rather than dense radial ribs.
- Valve outline is rounded to elongate-oval and differs from the finely ribbed Terebratulina wardenensis.
- Species-level identification should be tied to well-preserved shell shape and hinge/beak morphology because generic placement remains under review.
Fossil Details
Similar Species
Recorded Fossil Sites
No fossil-site occurrences have yet been recorded for this species.
References
- Muir-Wood, H. M. (1933). The Brachiopod species Terebratula bisinuata, Valenciennes in Lamarck, and Terebratula bartonensis and Terebratula hantonensis spp. n. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, 44(2), 168–173 View reference