Taxonomy
This page represents the following TreeOfLife-200M taxonomic path.[1]
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Porifera
- Class: Archaeopharetridae
Visual Description
Fossil specimens attributed to Archaeopharetridae are typically preserved as calcareous cup-like or modular skeletal structures (nonspiculate), reflecting a porous, multi-walled architecture.
Systematic Overview
Archaeopharetridae is treated as a class within Phylum Porifera in the Treatise Online systematic framework for the Archaeocyatha.[2]
Diagnostic skeletal/architectural features
At the class level, Archaeopharetridae are characterized by:
- A nonspiculate skeleton composed of calcareous cups with microgranular microstructure, generally with original magnesium calcite preserved.[2]
- Cup architecture commonly involving one or two porous walls that enclose an inner/central cavity.[2]
- A variety of internal wall/cavity elements, including porous to aporose septa, pseudosepta, and taeniae/pseudotaeniae and/or related network-like intervallum structures such as pseudotaenial networks, dictyonal networks, syringes and/or tabulae (taxon-dependent).[2]
- Some forms showing alternative architectures, including chaetetid-type intervallum with calicles or thalamid organization with successive chambers.[2]
- Occurrence as solitary or modular forms; secondary calcareous skeleton may occur.[2]
Temporal distribution
The class is known from the Cambrian, spanning the Terreneuvian–Furongian interval.[2]