Linguliformea

Linguliformea is a subphylum of inarticulate brachiopods.^[1] These were the earliest of brachiopods, ranging from the Cambrian into the Holocene. They rapidly diversified during the Cambrian into the Ordovician, but most families became extinct by the end of the Devonian.

Linguliformea Temporal range: Lower Cambrian–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Lingula anatina from Stradbroke Island, Australia
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Brachiopoda
Subphylum:	Linguliformea Williams et al. 1996
Classes
Lingulata Gorjansky and Popov 1985 †Paterinata Rowell 1965

The articulation in these brachiopods is lacking. These brachiopods have adductor and oblique muscles, but no diductor muscles. The anus is located at the side of the body. The pedicle is a hollow extension of the ventral body wall. Posterior body wall separates dorsal and ventral mantles.

The shells are usually made up of apatite (calcium phosphate), however rare cases have calcite or aragonite shells.

See also

• Paleozoic brachiopods