A revised review of British Lower Palaeozoic brachiopods

All brachiopod species described from the Lower Palaeozoic of Great Britain and Ireland are listed in an appropriate genus and arranged within an updated stratigraphical framework and also within the much-changed classification recently published in the revised edition of the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. The type specimen museum registration number, the stratigraphical horizon and the geographical locality for each species are given, with National Grid References for Great Britain (but not Ireland) where possible. Lower Palaeozoic brachiopods which have been described and illustrated since 1960, but only identified to genera, are also listed (apart from those in more general literature). 1501 taxa are discussed, of which 1075 are species and subspecies considered valid, 231 are in open nomenclature, 152 are synonyms, 34 are nomina dubia and nine belong to other phyla (although originally described as brachiopods). More than a hundred holotypes or lectotypes of species originally erected some years ago are figured, many of which are photographed for the first time. No new taxa are published here.