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Leptaena
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lamp shells
Paleozoic Era
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Leptaena

fossil brachiopod genus
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Leptaena, genus of extinct brachiopods (lamp shells) commonly found as fossils in Ordovician to Lower Carboniferous sedimentary rocks (between 488 million and 318 million years old). The very distinctive shell of Leptaena is characterized by its wrinkled ornamentation and fine linear markings.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.