Brachiopoda Fossil range: Cambrian - Recent
Living brachiopods
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Brachiopoda Duméril, 1806
Diversity
About 4,000 genera
Subphyla and classes
See Classification

Brachiopods (from Latin bracchium, arm + New Latin -poda, foot) are a small phylum of benthic invertebrates. The Cambrian is a geologic period and system that began about Ma (million years ago at the end of the Proterozoic eon and ended about Ma with André Marie Constant Duméril (1774 - 1860 was a French Zoologist. This is a list of Brachiopod Genera. Genera include living and Extinct ones A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic In life a subphylum is a Taxonomic rank intermediate between phylum and superclass. A class is the Taxonomic rank in the Biological classification of organisms in Biology below phylum and above order. Brachiopods (from Latin brachium, arm + New Latin -poda, foot are a small phylum of Benthic Invertebrates Also Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A phylum ( Plural: phyla) is a Taxonomic rank between Kingdom and above Class. The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a Body of water such as an Ocean or a Lake, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface An invertebrate is an Animal lacking a Vertebral column. The group includes 98% of all animal Species — all animals except those in the Chordate Also known as lamp shells (or lampshells), "brachs" or Brachiopoda, they are sessile, two-valved, marine animals with an external morphology superficially resembling pelecypods (for instance, clams) of phylum Mollusca to which they are not closely related. Sessile is a term in Biology with two distinct meanings In botany and medicine In Botany, sessile means "without a stalk Marine is an Umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the Sea or Ocean, such as Marine biology, Marine The term morphology in Biology refers to the outward appearance ( Shape, Structure, Colour, Pattern) of an Organism Bivalves are Molluscs belonging to the class Bivalvia. They have two-part shells and typically both valves are symmetrical along the hinge line Clam is a word which can be used for all some or only a few Species of Bivalve Mollusks the word is a Common name which has Molluscs are animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca. There are around 250000 extant Species within the phylum with an estimated 70000 It is estimated by paleobiologists that 99 percent of all documented lamp-shell species are both fossils and extinct. Paleobiology (sometimes spelled palaeobiology) is a growing and comparatively new discipline which combines the methods and findings of the Natural science Biology FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. ^[1]

Despite superficial similarities, bivalves and brachiopods differ markedly: Bivalves usually have a plane of symmetry between the valves of the shell, which are mirror images of each other; most brachiopods have a plane of bilateral symmetry through the valves and perpendicular to the hinge. Bivalves are Molluscs belonging to the class Bivalvia. They have two-part shells and typically both valves are symmetrical along the hinge line "Bilateral symmetry" redirects here For bilateral symmetry in mathematics see Reflection symmetry. A hinge is a type of bearing that connects two solid objects typically allowing only a limited angle of Rotation between them The two brachiopod valves differ in shape and size from one another. Bivalves use adductor muscles to hold their two valves closed, and they open them by means of an external or internal ligament once the adductor muscles are relaxed. In Anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote three different types of structures Fibrous tissue that connects Bones to other bones Brachiopods use internal diductor muscles to pull their two valves apart; they close the two with adductor muscles.

A second major difference is that most brachiopods are attached to the substrate by means of a fleshy "stalk" or pedicle. In contrast, although some bivalves (pelecypods such as oysters, mussels and the extinct rudists) are fixed to the substrate, most are free-moving, usually by means of a muscular "foot". Bivalves are Molluscs belonging to the class Bivalvia. They have two-part shells and typically both valves are symmetrical along the hinge line The common name oyster is used for a number of different groups of Bivalve Mollusks most of which live in marine habitats or Brackish water. The common name mussel is used for members of several different families of Clams or Bivalve Molluscs, from both saltwater and freshwater habitats Rudists are a group of bizarrely shaped marine Heterodont Bivalves that arose during the Jurassic, and became so diverse during the

Furthermore, brachiopod shells may be either phosphatic or -- much more commonly -- calcitic, as mollusks generally are. Phosphorus, (ˈfɒsfərəs is the Chemical element that has the symbol P and Atomic number 15 Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of Calcium carbonate ( Ca[[carbon C]] O 3 Only rarely do brachiopods produce aragonitic shells, which are composed of a less-permanent form of calcium carbonate. Aragonite is a Carbonate mineral, one of the two common naturally occurring polymorphs of Calcium carbonate, Ca[[carbon C]] O 3 Calcium carbonate is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula Ca[[Carbon C]] O 3 Lastly, in contrast to most bivalves, some extinct brachiopods exhibit elaborate flanges and spines. A flange is an external or internal Rib, or Rim (lip for strength, as the flange of an Iron beam or I-beam

On July 16, 1986, the Kentucky State Legislature designated the brachiopod to be the Kentucky state fossil. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Most American states have made a state fossil designation in many cases during the 1980s.

General description

Lingula anatina

Brachiopods may be divided into two types: inarticulate brachiopods are held together entirely by musculature, whereas articulate brachiopods have a hinge-like articulation between the shells. All brachiopods are marine and are found either attached to substrates by a structure called a pedicle or resting on muddy bottoms. Brachiopods are suspension feeders with a distinctive feeding organ called a lophophore, which is found in two other animal phyla (Bryozoa and Phoronida). The lophophore (ˈlɒfəfɔər is a characteristic feeding organ possessed by three major groups of animals the Brachiopoda, Bryozoa, and Phoronida. Bryozoans are tiny colonial Animals that generally build stony Skeletons of Calcium carbonate, superficially similar to Coral (although some Phoronids (' Phoronida') commonly known as horseshoe worms, are a relatively small animal Phylum: twenty species are known in two genera Modern brachiopods generally live in areas of cold water, either near the poles or in deep parts of the ocean.

Modern brachiopods range in shell size from less than 5 mm (¼ in) to just over 8 cm (3 in). The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. Fossil brachiopods generally fall within this size range, but some adult species have a shell of less than 1 mm across, and a few gigantic forms have been found measuring up to 38½ cm (15 in) in width.

Evolutionary history

Brachiopod fossils are often found in dense assemblages, such as these specimens of the Ordovician species Onniella meeki. The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic era, and covers the time between 488

Brachiopod morphology

A Carboniferous brachiopod Neospirifer condor, from Bolivia. The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian period about 359 The specimen is 7 cm across.

An Ordovician strophomenid brachiopod with encrusting inarticulate brachiopods (the craniid Philhedra)and a bryozoan. The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic era, and covers the time between 488 Strophomenida is a large extinct order of Articulate Brachiopods that existed from the lower Ordovician to the lower Jurassic Bryozoans are tiny colonial Animals that generally build stony Skeletons of Calcium carbonate, superficially similar to Coral (although some

A Devonian spiriferid brachiopod from Ohio which served as a host substrate for a colony of hederellids. The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era spanning from to  million years ago. Hederellids are Extinct colonial Animals with calcitic tubular branching Exoskeletons They range from the Silurian to the Permian and The specimen is 5 cm wide.

Syringothyris sp. ; a spiriferid brachiopod from the Logan Formation (Lower Carboniferous) of Wooster, Ohio (internal molds). The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian period about 359

The earliest unequivocal brachiopods in the fossil record occur in the early Cambrian, with the hingeless, inarticulate forms appearing first, followed soon thereafter by the hinged, articulate forms. FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. The Cambrian is a geologic period and system that began about Ma (million years ago at the end of the Proterozoic eon and ended about Ma with Possible brachiopods have also been found in much older upper Neoproterozoic strata, although their assignment remains uncertain. The Neoproterozoic Era is the unit of geologic time from 1000 to 542 +/- 0 Brachiopods are extremely common fossils throughout the Paleozoic. The Paleozoic or Palaeozoic Era (from the Greek palaio (παλαιο "old" and zoe (ζωη "life" meaning "ancient life" The major shift came with the Permian extinction. The Permian–Triassic (P–Tr extinction event, informally known as the Great Dying, was an Extinction event that occurred, and 70 percent of terrestrial Before this extinction event, brachiopods were more numerous and diverse than bivalve mollusks. An extinction event (also known as mass extinction; extinction-level event, ELE is a sharp decrease in the number of Species in a relatively short period Afterwards, in the Mesozoic, their diversity and numbers were drastically reduced, and they were largely replaced by bivalve mollusks. The Mesozoic Era is one of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. Mollusks continue to dominate today, and the remaining orders of brachiopods survive largely in fringe environments of more extreme cold and depth.

The most abundant modern brachiopods are the Class Terebratulida. Terebratulids are one of only two living orders of articulate Brachiopods the other being the Rhynchonellida. The perceived resemblance of terebratulid shells to ancient oil lamps gave the brachiopods their common name "lamp shell". The phylum most closely related to Brachiopoda is probably the small phylum Phoronida (known as "horseshoe worms"). Phoronids (' Phoronida') commonly known as horseshoe worms, are a relatively small animal Phylum: twenty species are known in two genera Along with the Bryozoa and possibly the Entoprocta, these phyla constitute the informal superphylum Lophophorata. Bryozoans are tiny colonial Animals that generally build stony Skeletons of Calcium carbonate, superficially similar to Coral (although some Entoprocta (Gr εντος entos inside + προκτος proktos anus is a phylum of small aquatic Animals ranging in size from 0 The lophophore (ˈlɒfəfɔər is a characteristic feeding organ possessed by three major groups of animals the Brachiopoda, Bryozoa, and Phoronida.

The inarticulate brachiopod genus Lingula is the oldest, relatively evolutionarily unchanged animal known. eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 The oldest Lingula fossils are found in Lower Cambrian rocks dating to roughly 550 million years ago. The origin of brachiopods is unknown. A possible ancestor is a sort of ancient "armored slug" known as Halkieria that was recently been found to have had small brachiopod-like shields on its head and tail. See also Halwaxiida Halkieria ( IPA: hælˈkɪˌriʌ is a genus of fossil organisms from the Lower to Middle Cambrian.

During the Ordovician and Silurian periods, brachiopods became adapted to life in most marine environments and became particularly numerous in shallow water habitats, in some cases forming whole banks in much the same way as bivalves (such as mussels) do today. The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic era, and covers the time between 488 The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician period about 443 The common name mussel is used for members of several different families of Clams or Bivalve Molluscs, from both saltwater and freshwater habitats In some places, large sections of limestone strata and reef deposits are composed largely of their shells. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 In Geology and related fields a stratum (plural strata) is a layer of rock or Soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguishes

Throughout their long geological history, the brachiopods have gone through several major proliferations and diversifications, and have also suffered from major extinctions as well. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa.

It has been suggested that the slow decline of the brachiopods over the last 100 million years or so is a direct result of (1) the rise in diversity of filter feeding bivalves, which have ousted the brachiopods from their former habitats; (2) the increasing disturbance of sediments by roving deposit feeders (including many burrowing bivalves); and/or (3) the increased intensity and variety of shell-crushing predation. However, it should be noted that the greatest successes for the bivalves have been in habitats which have never been adopted by the brachiopods, such as burrowing.

The abundance, diversity, and rapid evolution of brachiopods during the Paleozoic make them useful as index fossils when correlating strata across large areas. Index fossils (also known as guide fossils or zone fossils are Fossils used to define and identify geologic periods (or faunal stages

Classification

In older classification schemes, Phylum Brachiopoda was divided into two classes: Articulata and Inarticulata. Since most orders of brachiopods have been extinct since the end of the Paleozoic Era, classifications have always relied extensively on the morphology (that is, the shape) of fossils. FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. In the last 40 years further analysis of the fossil record and of living brachiopods, including genetic study, has led to changes in taxonomy. Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is Taxonomy is the practice and science of classification The word comes from the Greek, taxis (meaning 'order' 'arrangement' and, nomos

The taxonomy is still unstable, however, so different authors have made different groupings. In their 2000 article as part of the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Alwyn Williams, Sandra J. Invertebrate paleontology (also spelled Invertebrate palaeontology) is sometimes described as Invertebrate paleozoology and/or Invertebrate paleobiology Carlson, and C. Howard C. Brunton present current ideas on brachiopod classification; their grouping is followed here. They subdivide Brachiopoda into three subphyla, eight classes, and 26 orders. These categories are believed to be approximately phylogenetic. Brachiopod diversity declined significantly at the end of the Paleozoic. Only five orders in three classes include forms which survive today, a total of between 300 and 500 extant species. Compare this to the mid-Silurian Period, when 16 orders of brachiopods coexisted.

See also

• List of brachiopod genera

Footnotes

1. ^ See, for instance, data provided by paleontologist W. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. In life a subphylum is a Taxonomic rank intermediate between phylum and superclass. A class is the Taxonomic rank in the Biological classification of organisms in Biology below phylum and above order. This article is about the taxonomic rank for the sequence of species in a taxonomic list see Taxonomic order In scientific classification used Linguliformea is a subphylum of inarticulate Brachiopods These were the earliest of brachiopods ranging from the Cambrian into the Holocene. Lingulata is a class of Brachiopod, among the oldest of all brachiopods having existed since the Cambrian period (550 mya The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic era, and covers the time between 488 The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era spanning from to  million years ago. Craniforma is a class of Brachiopods ( Lamp shells and the only class of the Subphylum Craniformea. Craniforma is a class of Brachiopods ( Lamp shells and the only class of the Subphylum Craniformea. The Craniidae are a family of Brachiopods ( Lamp shells. They are the only members of the order Craniida and the Monotypic The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian period about 359 The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician period about 443 The Cambrian is a geologic period and system that began about Ma (million years ago at the end of the Proterozoic eon and ended about Ma with The Permian is a geologic period and system that extends from 299 Obolellida is a small extinct order of Inarticulate brachiopods that existed from the early to middle Cambrian period Strophomenida is a large extinct order of Articulate Brachiopods that existed from the lower Ordovician to the lower Jurassic Orthida is an extinct order of Brachiopods which appeared during the Early Cambrian period and became very diverse by the Ordovician, living in shallow-shelf The Taxonomic order Rhynchonellida is one of the two main groups of living articulate Brachiopods the other being the order Terebratulida Spiriferida is an order of extinct articulate Brachiopod, Fossils of which are known for their long hinge-line which is often the widest part of the shell The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to  Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning The Cretaceous (kriːˈteɪʃəs, usually abbreviated 'K' for its German translation "Kreide" is a geologic period and system, reaching from the end of Terebratulids are one of only two living orders of articulate Brachiopods the other being the Rhynchonellida. This is a list of Brachiopod Genera. Genera include living and Extinct ones Palaeontology redirects here For the Scientific journal, see Palaeontology (journal. H. Easton (1960) in Invertebrate Paleontology (New York: Harper and Brothers). Invertebrate paleontology (also spelled Invertebrate palaeontology) is sometimes described as Invertebrate paleozoology and/or Invertebrate paleobiology

External links

• UC-Berkeley Museum of Paleontology
• Palaeos Brachiopoda
• BrachNet
• Information from the Kansas Geological Survey
• site of R.Filippi
• Brachiopoda World Database

References

• Williams, A; Carlson, S. J. , and Brunton, C. H. C. (2000). "Brachiopod classification", in Williams, A. et al. : Brachiopoda (revised) 2.   Part H of in Kaesler, R. L. : Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Boulder, Colorado and Lawrence, Kansas: Geological Society of America and The University of Kansas. ISBN 0-8137-3108-9.