Monograph: Late Ordovician Brachiopods from the South CHina Plate and their Palaeogeographical Significance

Mid Ashgill brachiopods are described from the Xiazhen, Sanqushan and Changwu formations in the border region of Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces, East China. These are the only certain mid Ashgill shelly faunas on the South China Palaeoplate. All 41 genera recognized are represented only by single species. Strophomenoids and orthoids are the most diverse groups at 46 and 22 per cent. respectively of the taxa found, although the commonest are the rhynchonellide Altaethyrella, the spiriferide Eospirifer, and the pentameride Tcherskidium. Two new genera, Rongambonites and Fenomena, and seven new species are erected: Ectenoglossa minor, Epitomyonia jiangshanensis, Rongambonites bella, Kassinella (Kassinella) shiyangensis, Sowerbyella (Rugosowerbyella) dianbianensis, Holtedahlina sinica and Fenomena distincta. The fauna is highly endemic at the species level, but at the generic level 46 per cent. are cosmopolitan, 27 per cent. are regional and 27 per cent. are endemic. Through faunal affinity analysis of several contemporary faunas, the closest link is with the contemporary fauna from Kazakhstan.