New paedomorphic brachiopods from the abyssal zone of the north-eastern Pacific Ocean.
New Recent very small but sexually mature brachiopods have been found at abyssal depths (4580-4850 m) in the Clarion- Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean. They are characterized by simple (under-developed, juvenile) morphological features, which are interpreted here as paedomorphic, indicating the importance of heterochrony in the evolution of deep-sea brachiopods. We have described these brachiopods as representing two new genera and species, i.e. Oceanithyris juveniformis Bitner & Zezina (Family ?Dyscoliidae) and Simpliciforma profunda Bitner & Zezina (Superfamily Gwynioidea).
Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 00-818 Warszawa, Poland; Email: bitner@twarda.pan.pl.
Maria Aleksandra
MA
Bitner
Yuzhmorgeologiya, Federal Scientific Centre, Russia, Gelendzhik 352 461; Email: melnikvf@ymg.ru.
Vjacheslav P
VP
Melnik
Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117 997, Russia; Email: kap@ocean.ru.
Olga N
ON
Zezina
D000818:Animals; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification*; D010140:Pacific Ocean