STROPHOMENID AND TRIPLESIID BRACHIOPODS FROM AN UPPER ORDOVICIAN CARBONATE MOUND IN CENTRAL KAZAKHSTAN

Ten species of strophomenid and triplesiid brachiopods are described f rom the Late Ordovician (late Caradoc to early Ashgill) Dulankara Regi onal Stage of Central Kazakhstan. They represent part of a diverse bra chiopod assemblage, which was discovered in the top of a carbonate mou nd in the northern Betpak-Dala Desert This brachiopod assemblage inclu des mostly genera not recorded previously from contemporaneous deposit s in Kazakhstan, although they may be related to the long-lived lineag es which appeared in the area during Llanvirn or Llandeilo. New taxa a re: the plectambonitoids Bandaleta plana gen. et sp. nov., Shlyginia p erplexa sp. nov., Sortanella quinquecostata gen. et sp. nov., Anoptamb onites subcarinatus sp. nov., Anisopleurella ampla sp. nov., Craspedel ia roomusoksi sp. nov., and triplesioid Triplesia sortanensis sp. nov.