RARIELLIDAE, A NEW FAMILY OF RHYNCHOPOROIDEA (BRACHIOPODA) WITH A RESTUDY OF THE TYPE GENUS RARIELLA ZHANG 1981, FROM THE EMSIAN (EARLY DEVONIAN) OF INNER-MONGOLIA, NORTH CHINA

Reinvestigation of the type material of Rariella Zhang 1981, from the late Emsian (Early Devonian) of western Inner Mongolia, north China, s hows that it should be attributed to the rhynchoporoids rather than th e retziids since it possesses a punctate shell without laterally direc ted spiralia and lacks evidence for the brachiophore supports being in the form of a loop, as in the terebratuloids. A new family Rariellida e based on Rariella as the type genus is characterized by a spondylium apically in the pedicle valve and a cardinal process on a septalium i n the brachial valve. The fauna containing Rariella is mainly endemic to Inner Mongolia and developed at depths within Benthic Assemblage 2 to inner BA 3.