Description
Weight: 7 - 17g
Brachiopods, sometimes called "lamp shells," first appeared in the Cambrian Period and have an excellent fossil record, thriving especially during the Paleozoic Era before a major extinction event. They are notable for having two shells (valves) that differ in size and shape, which distinguishes them from bivalve mollusks they superficially resemble. They occupied many ecological niches in ancient oceans.
Brachiopods show great diversity in fossil form, from the minute Jurassic genus *Nannirhynchia* to the Carboniferous genus *Gigantoproductus*, which could grow up to 30 cm across.
