The Irish Ordovician brachiopod fauna: A taxonomic renaissance

Despite its small areal extent, the island of Ireland exposes eight Caledonian tectonic terranes; six of them contain Ordovician brachiopod assemblages. These terranes record the early phases and destruction of the Iapetus Ocean through the occurrence of latitude-sensitive brachiopod faunas during the Middle Ordovician and early Late Ordovician; more cosmopolitan faunas characterized the later Ordovician.

Automated summary

Despite its small size, Ireland features eight Caledonian tectonic terranes, six of which contain Ordovician brachiopod assemblages. These terranes provide evidence of the early and late stages of the Iapetus Ocean's formation and destruction, with latitude-sensitive brachiopod faunas in the Middle and early Late Ordovician and more cosmopolitan faunas in the later Ordovician.