The long held view that Lingula represents an extremely bradytelic lineage is questioned. Examination of Mesozoic lingulides has shown that they significantly differ from their Recent relatives Lingula and Glottidia in having longer lophophoral cavities, shorter ventral canals, better developed posterior adductor muscles, and less acute umbones. Morphological characters of the shell interior are needed to identify members of the Lingulidae, not solely external shell characteristics. The apparent evolutionary tendency towards a reduction of the volume of the lophophoral
cavity contradics the traditional view that the 'living fossil' Lingula has survived without significant morphological change since the Paleozoic. Actually the today living lingulide genera probably arose in the early Cenozoic. A new
inarticulate brachiopod genus, Lingularia is introduced, with three new species, Middle Triassic L. siberica, Middle Jurassic L. sirnilis, and Cretaceous L. smirnome.

Key words: lingulides, Brachiopoda, shell morphology, taxonomy, evoldtion, Paleozoic-Recent.