Article: Late Triassic brachiopods from the Luning Formation, Nevada, and their palaeobiogeographical significance

Brachiopods from the Late Triassic Luning Formation are described from localities in the Pilot and Shoshone Mountains, Nevada. The spiriferids Balatonospira? cf. B. lipoldi, Zugmayerella uncinata, ?Z. sp., Spondylospira lewesensis, and the terebratulids Plectoconcha aequiplicata, P. newbyi sp. nov., Rhaetina gregaria, R. cf. R. gregaria and Zeilleria cf. Z. elliptica are described. This Luning fauna contains species known from western Europe (Z. uncinata and R. gregaria) and forms closely comparable to species known from western Europe are also present (B. ? cf. B. lipoldi and Z. cf. Z. elliptica). Other species are only known from the Americas, S. lewesensis from displaced terranes in the cordilleran region of North America and from Peru, P. aequiplicata and P. newbyi sp. nov. from the displaced Paradise terrane of Nevada. Some of the brachiopods and associated corals, bivalves and foraminifers are conspecific with latest Triassic forms from central Europe. Ammonoids indicate the age of the fauna to be early Norian. The palaeobiogeographical distribution indicates existence of the Hispanic Corridor possibly as early as the Late Triassic which cannot be discounted as a possible migratory passage between Nevada and Tethys.