Late Ordovician cornulitids from Anticosti Island, eastern Canada, and their evolutionary implications

Researchers have identified two new species of Late Ordovician cornulitids, Cornulites richmondensis and Cornulites hemistriatus, from Anticosti Island, Canada. These free-living organisms exhibit unique morphological traits, such as a thick, punctate, cross-bladed lamellar conch wall and septate juvenile parts, bridging the evolutionary gap between Cornulites and later Silurian-Devonian Tentaculites. The study suggests that these cornulitids share similarities with brachiopods in their shell microstructure but possess finer, less distinct lamellar layers. This discovery provides new insights into the evolutionary transition of these fossil groups during the Late Ordovician period.

Jin, J., & Vinn, O. (2025). Late Ordovician cornulitids from Anticosti Island, eastern Canada, and their evolutionary implications. Journal of Paleontology, 99(6), 1268–1284. https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2026.10214