poriferan

[ paw-rif-er-uhn, poh-, puh- ]

noun

1. any animal of the phylum Porifera, comprising the sponges.

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the Porifera.

poriferan

/ pɔːˈrɪfərən /

noun

1. any invertebrate of the phylum Porifera, which comprises the sponges

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the phylum Porifera

Word History and Origins

Origin of poriferan¹

First recorded in 1860–65; Porifer(a) + -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of poriferan¹

C19: from New Latin porifer bearing pores

Example Sentences

A research team now claims that the tiny fossil pictured above, discovered in southern China and dated to 600 million years ago—clearly during the Precambrian—is the oldest known poriferan.

From Science Magazine