THEODOSSIA

genus of extinct brachiopods (lamp shells) the fossils of which are restricted to Early Devonian marine rocks (the Devonian period occurred from 408 million to 360 million years ago). The genus is characterized by a moderate-sized, rounded shell, the surface of which is covered with fine lines. Because of its temporal restriction, Theodossia is a good index fossil and aids in the correlation of sometimes widely separated rock units.