The Lophophorata are a
Lophotrochozoan clade consisting of the
Brachiozoa
Brachiozoa is a grouping of lophophorate animals including Brachiopoda and Phoronida. It also includes their ancestors, the extinct tommotiids.
References
Lophophorata
Protostome unranked clades
{{Protostome-stub ...
and the
Bryozoa
Bryozoa (also known as the Polyzoa, Ectoprocta or commonly as moss animals) are a phylum of simple, aquatic invertebrate animals, nearly all living in sedentary colonies. Typically about long, they have a special feeding structure called a ...
. They have a
lophophore
The lophophore () is a characteristic feeding organ possessed by four major groups of animals: the Brachiopoda, Bryozoa, Hyolitha, and Phoronida, which collectively constitute the protostome group Lophophorata.[protostomes
Protostomia () is the clade of animals once thought to be characterized by the formation of the organism's mouth before its anus during embryonic development. This nature has since been discovered to be extremely variable among Protostomia's me ...]
, but on morphological grounds they have been assessed as
deuterostome
Deuterostomia (; in Greek) are animals typically characterized by their anus forming before their mouth during embryonic development. The group's sister clade is Protostomia, animals whose digestive tract development is more varied. Some ...
s. Fossil finds of a segmented worm named
Wufengella suggest that they evolved from a worm close to annelids.
An ancient hairy, armoured worm lived in the oceans over 500 million years ago
/ref>
References
{{Protostome-stub