Menathyris wilsoni (Brachiopoda), new genus and species from the Middle Triassic (Ladinian) of southern Israel

Abstract

Menathyris wilsoni gen. et sp. nov. is described from the Limestone and Marl Member (Early Ladinian) of the Saharonim Formation (early Anisian–late Carnian), at Har Gevanim, Makhtesh Ramon, southern Israel. The Saharonim Formation represents the main transgressive phase of the Middle Triassic. The subunit, from which the shells were collected, contains the molluscs Neoschizodus laevigatus (Ziethen), Myophoriopsis cf. subundata (Schauroth), Lima cf. tellei Bittner, Pecten discites (Schlotheim), Ostrea montiscaprilis Klipstein, Pseudoplacunopsis fissistriata (Winkler), Gevanites awadi (Parnes), and the conodont Pseudofurnishius murcianus (Van den Boogaard), the last-mentioned indicative of the Fassanian (Early Ladinian).