A NEW SPECIES OF PERMIANELLIDS (BRACHIOPODA) - TAXONOMIC AND PALEOECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Until recently the study of Permianellids was neglected. This paper de scribes a new species of permianellids brachiopod from limestones of t he Changhsing Formation of the uppermost Permian in the Nantong Mining Area Sichuan Province of South China. Based on detailed studies of th e external and internal shell morphology, shell fabric and presumed li ving habits of the species, the writers consider in many respects the Permianellids have affinity to the oldhaminids and may be treated as a family. The analyses of the attachment pattern, population characteri stics and associated faunas show that this group belongs to higher epi zoan suspension feeders in the soft substrate community near normal wa ve base.