A species of Fulcriphoria (Orthida, Brachiopoda) from the Siegenian of the Rhenish Massif (Lower Devonian, Germany)

Abstract Fulcriphoria petericarlsi n. sp. (Proschizophoriidae, Orthida, Brachiopoda) is introduced as a new species from the upper or possibly uppermost part of the Taunusquarzit Group (upper Siegenian, Lower Devonian) of the Taunus and Hunsrück areas (southern Rhenish Massif, Germany). It is distinguished from the previously known species of the genus from Spain and France by its larger size and internal features. The new species occurs in the proximal eurhenotypic facies reflecting very shallow and near-shore settings of Benthic Assemblage (BA) Zone 2. The occurrence of F. petericarlsi is restricted to the ‘Southern Facies Belt’ in the southern Rhenish Massif whereas the common Rhenish proschizophoriid species Proschizophoria personata is largely known from the ‘Northern Facies Belt’ in the northern Rhenish Massif. In terms of palaeobiogeography, the genus Fulcriphoria most probably originated on the North Gondwanan Shelf and had its main distribution there. The new species migrated to the southern Rhenish Shelf in the middle or late Siegenian.