A New Middle Ordovician Strophomenid Species (Brachiopoda, Strophomenata) from the Western Part of the Gorny Altai

A new species of the order Strophomenida Taphrodonta (Taphrodonta) maralikhaensis sp. nov. is described from the stratotype of the Kuibyshevo Horizon of the Darriwilian Stage (Middle Ordovician) in the western part of the Altai Mountains. Previously, representatives of the subgenus Taphrodonta (Taphrodonta) were known from the Middle Ordovician of Nevada (USA) and the Chu-Ili Mountains (Kazakhstan). The finding of Taphrodonta (T.) maralikhaensis sp. nov. in the Altai Mountains expands the distribution area of this genus and can be used to analyze the routes of long-distance migration of taphrodontids and possible paleogeographic connections of Altai brachiopod communities in the Middle Ordovician.