Stromatoporoidea

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Parent taxa:
(check the following menu and phylogeny - the taxon in bold refers to the topic on this page)


CNIDARIA
Taxonomy Tentative Phylogeny 
o Metazoa 
`--o PORIFERA
   |--Hexactinellida 
   `--+--+--Demospongiae 
      |  `?-Archaeocyatha
      |==Sclerospongiae (polyphyletic)?
      |==Stromatoporoidea (polyphyletic)?
      `--+--Calcarea 
         `--Radiata / Eumetazoa


Stromatoporoidea


Stromatoporoids are an extinct group of massive colonial marine organisms that were important Paleozoic and Mesozoic reef builders. For a long time it was not even clear what sort of organisms they are. Affinities were suggested with sponges (Phylum Porifera), corals (Phylum Cnidaria), and even algae. It is now generally accepted that they represent perhaps two distinct groups of demosponges or sclerosponges. However some paleontologists still consider stromatoporoids to belong to their own phylum with either sheet-like or hemispherical skeletons. They have horizontal partitions called laminae and vertical partitions called pillars.

Credits

MAK030430

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