Taxonomy of commonly fossilised invertebrates
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The taxonomy of commonly fossilized invertebrates combines both traditional and modern paleozoological terminology. This article compiles various invertebrate taxa in the fossil record, ranging from protists to arthropods. This includes groups that are significant in paleontological contexts, abundant in the fossil record, or have a high proportion of extinct species. Special notations are explained below:
- [ ! ]: Indicates clades that are important as fossils or abundant in the fossil record.
- [ – ]: Indicates clades that contain a large proportion of extinct species.
- [ † ]: Indicates completely extinct clades.
The paleobiologic systematics that follow are not intended to be comprehensive, rather, they are designed to encompass invertebrates that (a) are popularly collected as fossils and (b) extinct. As a result, some groups of invertebrates are not listed.[1]
If an invertebrate animal is mentioned below using its common (vernacular) name, it is an extant (living) taxon, but if it is cited by its scientific genus, then it is typically an extinct invertebrate known only from the fossil record.[2]
Invertebrate clades that are important fossils (e.g. ostracods, frequently used as index fossils), and clades that are very abundant as fossils (e.g. crinoids, easily found in crinoidal limestone),[3] are highlighted with a bracketed exclamation mark [ ! ].
Sub-domain of Opisthokonta
Eukaryotes are cellular organisms bearing a central, organized nucleus with DNA.
- most species documented by biologists and palaeontologists, extinct or extant, are eukaryotic.
- includes: a wide variety of single-celled protists; all algae; most plankton; most molds; green plants; and all animal-related kingdoms.
Opisthokonts; the animal-related kingdoms. These include proto-spongal choanoflagellates; proto-fungal microsporidians; and true fungi; true animals.
- most life forms documented, extinct or extant.
- excludes: many molds; all one-celled protists (protoctists); all algae; all green plants.
Kingdom of Animalia / Metazoa - All Invertebrates and Vertebrates
Sub-kingdom of Parazoa
Parazoans are typically sessile, basal non-eumetazoans. They are the most primitive animals, comprising simple, colonial, attached, bottom-dwelling marine invertebrates.
Phylum Archaeocyatha/Archeocyatha/Archaeocyathida/Archeocyathida/Pleospongia [†]
Cone-shaped archaeocyathids/archeocyathids; cup-shaped archaeocyathans/archeocyathans; reef-building pleosponges; calcareous "ancient-cups".
Includes fossil genera such as Archaeocyathus, Cambrocyathus, Atikonia, Tumuliolynthus, Kotuyicyathus, Metaldetes, Ajacicyathus and Paranacyathus.
Archaeocyatha is sometimes classified as a class of Porifera below.
Phylum Porifera/Nuda/Spongia
Quintessential true sponges; marine, colonial, pore-bearing animals; organized collar-flagellates; poriferans - today mostly siliceous – half of all documented species of Porifera are fossils and extinct.[4]
Porifera may eventually be broken up into separate phyla:
- Sub-phylum Calcarea/Calcispongiae (primitive calcareous poriferans such as yellow lemon sponge, sphinctozoans, pharetronids, Sycon, Leucetta, Gravestockia, Grantia, Astraeospongium, Clathrina, Lelapia, Rhaphidonema, and Girtyocoelia).
- Class Calcinea
- Class Calcaronea
- Class Stromatoporoidea/Stromatoporata/Stromatoporida/Spongliomorphida [†] (lime-layered stromatoporoids/reef-building stromatoporates/button-shaped stromatoporid/disc-shaped spongliomorphids; e.g., Stromatopora, Aulacera, Stromatactis, Actinostroma, Discophyllum, Parallelopora and Amphipora)
- Class Heteractinida [†] (Paleozoic calcitic heteractinids such as Eiffelia)
- Sub-phylum Silicea / Silicospongia (siliceous poriferans):
- Class Demospongea/Demospongiae (most living sponges hardened by opaline silica or spongin; for instance, horny sponge, bath sponge, stove-pipe sponge, yellow boring sponge, carnivorous sponge, bristle sponge, chaetids, lithistids, Astroclera, Trypanites, Hindia, Ventriculites, Laosoiadia, Clionolithes, Tetractinella, and Astylospongia)
- Class Hexactinellida/Hyalospongiae/Sclerospongiae (siliceous, deep-sea glass sponges, e.g. glassy-latticed Venus flower basket, bird's nest sponge, cloud sponge, Hexactinella, Hydroceras, Dictyonina, Brachiospongia, Titusvillea, and Rhizopoterion)
