Inarticulate Brachiopods
Baroisella, of the subphylum Linguliforma, inarticulate brachiopods
Once the dominant fauna of the Palaeozoic sea-floor, today’s brachiopods are found at only a fraction of their previous diversity and abundance. In the past, the phylum Brachiopoda was divided into two classes; the Articulata and Inarticulata. Today, the terms ‘articulate’ and ‘inarticulate’ are still used in a general sense, although different classifications systems are now recognised. An inarticulate brachiopod lacks the tooth and socket arrangement between the valves which is present in articulate brachiopods. Though at times locally abundant, the inarticulate brachiopods have always been 'in the shadow' of the articulate brachiopods, occurring at much lower abundance and diversity for most of the fossil record. Click on the links below to find out more...
Author: Alan O'Connor
Last updated: 18/11/06
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