Devonian (Givetian) Hyolitha from the Kersadiou Formation, Massif Armoricain, France

Among hyoliths from the Givetian Kersadiou Formation in northwestern France one form is assigned to Hyolithes triliratus Hall, 1879, which is used as the basis for Brittanella new genus. The occurrence of this species in France supports affinity for fauna in that region to the Eastern Americas Realm. Other hyoliths from this unit include one species of Hyolithes Eichwald, which is left in open nomenclature, and one conch and one platyclaviculate operculum that cannot be identified to genus. The occurrence of these fossils in concretions in an oxygen-stressed dark gray shale supports the notion that this environment served as a refuge for taxa that were less efficient competitors with other normal marine benthos in the Devonian.