Article: Entomozoacean ostracods from the Lower Carboniferous of south-western England

The Entomozoacea ('entomozoids') are an important group of Palaeozoic ostracods which flourished in the upper Devonian and lower Carboniferous. Although they have traditionally been regarded as planktonic, the carapace morphology of the entomozoaceans provides no clear evidence for either a planktonic or benthic existence and it is concluded that both these modes of life may have been represented within the group. This paper is the first significant published account of these ostracods in the British Carboniferous. Sixteen species from the Tournaisian of Devon, south-western England, are described and illustrated. Six are assigned to known species, one (Maternella (M.) whitewayensis sp. nov.) is new and the remainder are dealt with under open nomenclature. The British assemblages, particularly those from excavations made near Whiteway Barton, closely resemble faunas from the lower and middle latior Zone of entomozoacean chronology (broadly equivalent to the Gattendorfia ammonoid Stufe) reported by Groos-Uffenorde (1974) from the Rheinische Schiefergebirge.