EARLY CAMBRIAN BRACHIOPODS FROM NORTH GREENLAND

A silicified late Early Cambrian (early Toyonian) brachiopod assemblag e is described from the Paralleldal Formation of Peary Land, central N orth Greenland. The fauna comprises Acareorthis profunda sp. nov., Pel manella borealis gen. et sp. nov., Kutorgina cingulata, and Agyrekia a ff. obtusa. The assemblage is comparable to faunas described from the Lower Cambrian (Botomian) of south Tien-Shan, Kirgizia, and the lower Middle Cambrian (Ordian) of New South Wales, Australia. Primitive arti culatory structures are described for the first time in Kutorgina cing ulata, suggesting a close affinity to the Nisusiidae and supporting th e assignment of the latter family to the Kutorginida, Acareorthis is r eported for the first time outside Australia; it is here referred to t he Chileida in view of its strophic shell lacking all traces of articu latory structures. The new obolellid family Pelmanellidae is erected, comprising Pelmanella and the Australian genus Bynguanoia.