Article: The lamellibranch genus Prothyris in the Upper Devonian and Carboniferous of Great Britain

The morphology and distribution of the species of the lamellibranch genus Prothyris Meek, occurring in the Upper Devonian and Carboniferous of Great Britain, are reviewed. Of the three Upper Devonian species described by Whidborne (1896), P. scalprata is regarded as conspecific with P. contorta, and it is concluded that P. recta should be removed from the genus. A new Upper Devonian species, P. stubblefieldi, is described. Four species are recognized in the Carboniferous: P. breviformis Wilson, P. oblonga Wilson, P. scotica sp. nov., and P. carbonaria sp. nov. Some general comments are made on the mode of life, environment, and evolution of the genus.