Brachiopod Fossils

Brachiopod fossils are arguably some of the most common found from the Paleozoic era. They evolved some 550 million years ago in some of the earliest Cambrian rocks. Their descendants still survive in the oceans today, but they are rare, and today their numbers are drastically reduced. They had a hard calcium phosphate shell that enclosed the soft parts of the body. Though they appear like clams they had a drastically different body design. Brachiopods attached themselves to the ocean by means of a pedicle or foot.  They had the ability to open and close the shell to feed. Clams have roughly equal shell halves whereas the brachiopods have one shell or valve that is concave and the other is convex. Brachiopod fossils can be very well preserved and are often found in multi-species plates. We offer a variety of Brachiopod species on our store, so check back frequently to see new items!