Brachiopoda
/ˌbrakɪəˈpəʊdə
/plural noun Zoology
A phylum of marine invertebrates that comprises the lamp shells.Many recent textbooks unite Ectoprocta, Phoronida and Brachiopoda under the name Lophophorata, a name introduced by Hyman, apparently because she did not like the much older name Tentaculata....
- As these animals are quite distinct from other members of the phylum Brachiopoda they were given their own superfamily Cranioidea.
- Several recent evolution trees show the Phoronida and Brachiopoda as closely interrelated, with the Brachiopoda possibly a paraphyletic group.
Origin
Modern Latin (plural), from Greek brakhiōn 'arm' + pous, pod- 'foot'.