British Cambrian and Tremadoc Bradoriid and Phosphatocopid Arthropods

Bradoriid and phosphatocopid arthropods occur throughout the Cambrian and Tremadoc of Britain, most abundantly in the Welsh Borderland, Warwickshire and South Wales. Families Beyrichonidae, Bradoriidae, Falitidae, Hesslandonidae, Hipponicharionidae, Svealutidae and Vestrogothiidae are represented. The total known fauna comprises 15 genera and 30 species (including Veldotron rushtoni sp. nov. and 12 species described under open nomenclature). The species ‘Leperditia’ solvensis, ‘Entomis’ buprestis and ‘Dielymella’ praecox are of uncertain affinity. Most British bradoriid and phosphatocopid species are short-ranging and have only local geographical occurrence but a few species have intercontinental biostratigraphical value, being coeval in Canada, Britain and Scandinavia. Provinciality of the British bradoriid and phosphatocopid faunas supports the notion of an Iapetus Ocean in the Cambrian; several genera and species common to palaeocontinental Avalonia and Baltica are absent from coeval Laurentian faunas but some elements of the British bradoriid fauna appear to have been cosmopolitan. The bradoriid and phosphatocopid faunas of Britain occur as marine assemblages of low diversity and were probably mostly benthic or nekto-benthic.