ATRYPA

genus of extinct brachiopods, or lamp shells, that has a broad time range and occurs abundantly as fossils in marine rocks from the Silurian through the Early Carboniferous (the Silurian Period began 438 million years ago and the Early Carboniferous ended 320 million years ago). Many species of Atrypa have been described. The genus is easily recognized by its distinctive concentric growth lines and peculiar outgrowths of the shell. It is unusual that in some Devonian exposures the abundant remains of only the pedicle (foot) valves of Atrypa occur; the brachial (upper) valves are rare or absentapparently because of some sort of selective ocean current action.