Taxonomy of commonly fossilised invertebrates

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• [ ! ]: Indicates clades that are important as fossils or very abundant in the fossil record.
• [ – ]: Indicates clades that contain a large proportion of extinct species.
• [ † ]: Indicates clades that are completely extinct.

The paleobiologic systematics that follow are not intended to be comprehensive, rather encompass invertebrates that (a) are popularly collected as fossils and/or (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

• most of the
  paleontologists
  , extinct or extant, are eukaryotic.
• includes: a wide variety of
  green plants; all animal-related kingdoms
  .
  • does not include the
    prokaryotic domains of Archaea and Bacteria – nor the enigmatic domain of Viruses
    .

Sub-kingdom of Parazoa

Parazoans; typically

Phylum

Archeocyathida

/Pleospongia [†]

Cone-shaped

Phylum

Nuda/Spongia

Porifera may eventually be broken up into separate phyla:

• Sub-phylum
  Calcispongiae (primitive calcareous
  poriferans such as yellow lemon sponge, sphinctozoans, pharetronids, Scypha, Leucetta, Gravestockia, Grantia, Astraeospongium, Clathrina, Lelapia, Rhaphidonema, and Girtyocoelia).
  • Class Calcinea
  • Class Calcaronea
  • Class
    stromatoporoids
    /reef-building stromatoporates/button-shaped stromatoporids/disc-shaped spongliomorphids; e.g., Stromatopora, Aulacera, Stromatactis, Actinostroma, Discophyllum, Parallelopora and Amphipora)
  • Class Heteractinida [†] (Paleozoic calcitic heteractinids such as Eiffelia)
• Sub-phylum
  siliceous
  poriferans):
  • Class
    carnivorous sponge
    , bristle sponge, chaetids, lithistids, Astroclera, Ceractinomorpha, Clionoides, Hindia, Ventriculites, Laosoiadia, Clionolithes, Tetractinella, and Astylospongia)
  • Class
    Venus flower basket, bird's nest sponge, cloud sponge
    , Hexactinella, Hydroceras, Dictyonina, Brachiospongia, Titusvillea, and Rhizopoterion)

Sub-kingdom of Eumetazoa

Eumetazoa contains most of the living and deceased species of recorded life, including most invertebrates (extinct and extant), as well as all vertebrate animals.

Super-phylum of Radiata

Radiates; non-bilaterian eumetazoans.

Phylum Cnidaria/Coelenterata

• Class Hydrozoa (hydra or hydroid group):
  • Subclass
    stromatoporoids
    )
  • Subclass
    Conulata
    [†] (four-sided, pyramidal conularians)
• Class Anthozoa (corals / polyps):
  • Subclass
    soft corals and sea pens
    )
  • Subclass
    extant corals
    )
    • Order
      horn-shaped tetracorals such as Petoskey coral
      , Caninia and Heliophyllum)
    • Order
      tabulate corals, for instance, Favosites and Aulopora
      )
    • Order
      living corals
      )

Phylum Bryozoa/Ectoprocta/Polyzoa

Bryozoans – half of all documented species of Bryozoa are fossils and extinct.^[5]

• Class
  bryozoans
  ):
  • Order
    Cheilostomata
    [!] (living, rimmed-mouthed moss animals)
  • Order Cyclostomatida (uncontracted, round-mouthed bryozoans including fossil Stomatopora)
  • Order Cystoporata [†] (extinct, minor group of moss animals)
  • Order
    Trepostomata
    [†] [!] (changed-mouthed bryozoans such as extinct Constellaria and Monticulipora)
  • Order Cryptostomata [†] [!] (round hidden-mouthed bryozoans such as Archimedes, Fenestrellina and Rhombopora)
  • Order Ctenostomata [†] (uncommon, comb-mouthed bryozoans)
  • Order Phylactolaemata (living, fresh-water bryozoans)

Phylum

Brachiopoda

• Subphylum
  Lingula
  ) – but mostly extinct.
• Subphylum
  Crania
  ) – but mostly extinct.
• Subphylum
  articulate brachiopods
  with hinged valves; includes most extinct and living brachs).
  • Class Rhynchonellata [!]
    • Order Orthida [†] [!] (orthid brachs such as fossil Orthis)
    • Order Pentamerida [†] (pentamerid brachs such as Conchidium)
    • Order Rhynchonellida [!] (rhynchonellid brachs such as fossils Rhynchotrema and Rhynchonella)
    • Order Spiriferida [†] [!] (spiriferid brachs)
      • Suborder Spiriferinida [†] [!] (spiriferid brachs such as Spirifer and Eospirifer)
      • Suborder Atrypida [†] [!] (atrypid brachs such as Atrypa)
    • Order Terebratulida [!] (most living brachiopods; includes fossil Dielasma)
  • Class Strophomenata [†] [!] (so-called petrified butterflies)
    • Order Strophomenida [†] [!] (strophomenid brachs)
    • Order Productida [†] [!] (spiny or productid brachs)
      • Suborder Chonetidina [†] [!]
      • Suborder Productidina [†] [!]

Phylum

Annelida

• Class
  marine annelids / polychaetes
  )
  • Order Scolecodonta [!] (mostly
    scolecodonts
    )

Phylum Mollusca

Molluscs or

• Class
  extinct, except for "living fossil" Neopilina
  )
• Class
  Pelecypoda (bivalves / pelecypods) – half of all documented species of Bivalvia are fossils and extinct ^[6]
  • Subclass
    Lamellibranchia [!] (clams, oysters, mussels and scallops
    )
• Class Gastropoda (gastropods / snail group)
  • Subclass
    marine snails and conches
    )
  • Subclass Opisthobranchia (sea slugs)
  • Subclass Pulmonata (land snails)
• Class
  Cephalopoda
  (cephalopods) – 97 % of all documented species of Cephalopoda are now extinct
  • Subclass
    Nautiloidea (mostly extinct, but includes "living fossil" Nautilus
    )
    • Order
      long, straight-shelled nautiloids
      )
  • Subclass
    ammonoids
    )
    • Agoniatitic (agoniatites) [†]
    • Goniatitic (
      sutures
      )
    • Ceratitic (ceratites) [†]
    • sutures
      )
  • Subclass Coleoidea (includes the living squid, cuttlefish, and octopus)
    • Order
      orthoconic
      belemnoids)

Super-phylum of

Protostomia

# 2

Phylum Onychophora

Panarthropodic

Phylum

Arthropoda

Arthropods;

• Subphylum
  Crustacea
  (crustaceans)
  • Class
    Ostracoda
    (ostracods)
  • Class Malacostraca (true crabs, lobster and most shrimp)
  • Class Branchiopoda (brine shrimp)
    • Order Notostraca
  • Class
    Cirripedia (barnacles
    )
  • Class Arachnoidea
• Subphylum
  Trilobitomorpha [†] (extinct trilobite
  group)
  • Class
    Trilobita
    [†] (the armored trilobites)
• Subphylum Hexapoda
  • Class
    Insecta (insects, best preserved in amber
    )
• Subphylum Chelicerata
  • Class
    Arachnida (spiders, best preserved in amber
    )
  • Class Xiphosura ("living fossil" horseshoe crabs)
• Subphylum Myriapoda
  • Class
    Diplopoda
  • Class
    Chilopoda

Super-phylum of

Deuterostomia

/ Enterocoelomata

Second-mouthed

Echinoderms – 72% of all documented species of Echinodermata are fossils and extinct.^[7]

• Subphylum
  sessile
  echinoderms) – 91% of all documented species of Crinozoa are now extinct
  • Class
    sea lilies
    ) – See Crinozoa above
• Subphylum Blastozoa [†] (extinct blastoids)
  • Class Diploporita
  • Class
    Rhombifera
• Subphylum
  mobile
  echinoderms) – 89% of all documented species of Echinozoa are now extinct
  • Class
    Echinoidea (echinoids or sea urchins
    ) – See Echinozoa above
    • Order
      Clypeasteroida
    • Order Camarodonta
• Subphylum Asterozoa
  • Class
    sea stars
    / starfish)
  • Class
    Ophiuroidea

Phylum

Hemichordata

Hemichordates such as extant acorn worms – Less than half of the documented species of Hemichordata are fossils and extinct.

• Class
  Graptoloidea [†] (extinct graptolites
  )
  • Order
    Dendroidea
    [†]
  • Order
    Graptoloidea
    [†]
    • Suborder Didymograptina [†]
    • Suborder Diplograptina [†]
    • Suborder Monograptina [†]

Both invertebrate and vertebrate chordates; animals possessing a notochord.

Invertebrate subphyla

• Subphylum
  sea squirts
  )
• Subphylum
  Cephalochordata (invertebrate lancelets
  )

• Vertebrates such as
  lobe-finned fishes, amphibians, reptiles, dinosaurs [†], birds and mammals
  .

• Invertebrate paleontology

References