Is a Scallop a Brachiopod?

The most common seashells at the beach today are bivalves: clams, oysters, scallops, and mussels. However, from the Cambrian to the Permian (542 to 252 million years ago), another group of organisms called brachiopods dominated the world's oceans.

How can you identify a brachiopod?

Other shell features are useful for identifying brachiopods. A sulcus (a groove-like depression) is present on many brachiopod shells, and a fold (a raised ridge) can be found on the opposite valve. Costae are elevated ribs on the shell. Growth lines are concentric rings representing successive periods of growth.

What are brachiopods related to?

Though they appear to be similar to clams or oysters they are not related. They are not even mollusks. They belong to the phylum Lophophorata and are related to bryozoans. One characteristic unique to brachiopods is the pedicle.