- Stromatoporoidea
Taxobox
name = Stromatoporoidea
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Porifera
classis =Demospongea
ordo = Stromatoporoidea
subdivision_ranks = Families
subdivision = See text.Stromatoporoidea is an order of colonial aquatic
invertebrate s that until recently was believed to have gone extinct in theDevonian . The group was previously thought to be related to thecoral s and placed in the phylumCnidaria . It is now thought to belong to the sponges (Porifera). There are numerousfossil forms, dating from theCambrian to theCretaceous periods, with spherical, branching or encrusting skeletons of lime.The living members of this order are recognized by the
zoological society assclerosponges but are identical to, what thepaleontological community has identified as stromatoporoids. It is poor communication between these two groups that has caused inproper naming of this species and some confusion. Today stromatoporoids have been relegated to a marginal existence in areas intolerable to other reefingbenthos .External links
* [http://www.palaeos.com/Invertebrates/Porifera/Stromatoporoidea.html Palaeos website on Stromatoporoidea]
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