Abstract**

A detailed study of over 2500 host brachiopods, from the Middle Devonian Hamilton Group of New York State, revealed distinct patterns of epibiont encrustation, that provide insight into taphonomy and paleoautecology of the host brachiopod shells and depositional environments. The concavo-convex orthid, Tropidolepius carinatus (Conrad), as well as strophomenid, and smooth athyrid brachiopods are among the most heavily encrusted. However, terebratulids of nearly identical size and shape are relatively clean of epibionts. This selective distribution strongly suggests that epibionts were discouraged from settling on punctate brachiopods. Brachiopods with small spines and frills were also nearly clean of epibionts, possibly because of entrapment of a mud layer, which made the outer layer of the host inhospitable for larval settling. Concavo-convex taxa reveal high percent coverage and diversity of epibionts on the convex valve, which probably rested on the substrate during the life of brachiopod. This pattern is observed even on brachiopods that were buried with the convex valve downward. This implies complex post-mortem histories involving multiple episodes of reorientation and colonization.

Bordeaux, Y.,1992,Two Aspects of Devonian Paleoecology:University of Pennsylvania,
	 unpublished Masters Thesis.

Bordeaux, Y. L. and G. E. Boyajian, 1991. Simulating random encrustation 
	patterns on a growing individual: A re-examination of epibionts as tools 
	in autecology and taphonomy.Geol. Soc. Amer. Abstracts with 
	Programs, 23(5).  

Bordeaux, Y, L, and C. E. Brett, 1990. Epibiont encrusters: Implications 
	for brachiopod life habits. Second International Brachiopod Congress, 
	Abstracts, Dunedin, NZ.

**Bordeaux, Y. L. and Brett, C. E.,1990,  Substrate specific association of 
	epibionts on Middle Devonian brachiopods: Implications for paleoecology: 
	Historical Biology,v.4,p.203-220.

Brett, C. E. and Y. Bordeaux, 1988. Epibionts on Devonian brachiopods: 
	paleoecological implications. Geol. Soc. Amer. Abstracts with 
	Programs.20(1):10.  

Brett, C. E. and Bordeaux, Y. L.,1991, Taphonomy of brachiopods from a 
	Middle Devonian shell bed: implications for the genesis of skeletal 
	accumulations.  In: MacKinnon, D. L., Lee, D. E., and Campbell, J. D.  
	(eds.)  Brachiopods Through Time. Rotterdam: A A Balkema, p. 219-226.