The brachiopods, marine organisms with protective shells, flourished during the Silurian period, with 3,000 varieties emerging, though only 200 survive today. They lived much as they do now, with hinged and notched shells for defense. Brachiopods coexisted with gastropods, mollusks, and coral reef builders in ancient seas, contributing significantly to limestone formations from their calcified remains. [1]
As the Silurian seas advanced and retreated, marine ecosystems evolved. Fossil evidence shows brachiopods and other marine life thrived even near the poles, where warm seas bathed the shorelines. Toward the end of the epoch, brachiopods declined, succeeded by arthropods and cephalopods, signaling a shift in oceanic dominance. [2]