The orthids were an early and important group of articulate brachiopods (see later in
this chapter).
They first appeared in the Early Cambrian Period and were extremely diverse by the Ordovician Period, some 450 million years ago.
The brachiopods in this group are sub-circular to elliptical in form, with generally biconvex (or outward- bulging) valves, although one valve is flatter and so bulges less than the other.
The hinge line of this brachiopod is normally strophic, or straight, giving rise to the name 'orthid'.
Other common features of this brachiopod group include ribs radiating outwards in the shape of a fan from the area of the hinge, and the presence of a concave sulcus (a depression or groove) on one valve and a corresponding fold in the opposite valve.