PALEOECOLOGY AND PALEOBATHYMETRY OF PLEISTOCENE BRACHIOPODS FROM THE MANCHIONEAL FORMATION OF JAMAICA

The early Pleistocene brachiopod fauna of the Manchioneal Formation, e astern Jamaica, comprises two small taxa, Argyrotheca and Terebratulin a, together with the large Tichosina. Two main life strategies have be en identified. Argyrotheca and Terebratulina, charcaterized by positiv ely skewed size-frequency distributions, were mainly attached to small areas of hard substrate probably in cryptic environments. The more no rmal distributions associated with Tichosina suggest initial rapid gro wth while fixed to the substrate; later in ontogeny some of the large, hemispherical shells were possibly detached and pursued a less-rigid life style on the seabed.