Mesopholidostrophia semicircularis brachiopod from Eifel, Germany

The nacerous shell of Mesopholidostrophia semicircularis is typical of the genera. It can be seen in it's N. America cousins, Pholidostrophia nacera, which are common in the Givetian stage of the middle Devonian. The specimen of M. semicircularis shown below comes from the Eifelian stage (Devonian) of the Junkerberg formation near Gondelsheim, Eifel region, Germany.

Specimen #1
Pedicle valve

Anterior

Brachial valve

Posterior

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Specimen #2
Pedicle valve

Anterior

Posterior

Profile

Examples of  Pholidostrophia geniculata from the Silica Shale of Ohio, Pholidostrophia nacrea from the Widder formation of Ontario, Canada and the Mahantango formation of Pennsylvania.

Spinocyrtia ostiolata brachiopod from Germany

From the farm fields around Gondelsheim, Germany come these Spinocyrtia ostiolata brachiopods. The fossils come from the Giesdorf mbr. of the Junkerberg Formation and are turned up as the farmers till their fields.

Specimen #1 Brachial valve

Anterior

Pedicle valve

Posterior

Profile

Specimen #2 Brachial valve

Anterior

Pedicle valve

Posterior

Profile

I don't have any specimens of Spinocyrtia from my collections to compare to these fossils. This is due partly to me learning how to tell them apart from similarly shaped Spirferida like Mediospifier. I do have a specimen from Spain that I have posted about previously, although it looks completely different from these German specimens.

Thanks to Nils for the specimens.