Members of Productida first appeared during the Silurian.

[1] They represented the most abundant group of brachiopods during the Permian period, accounting for 45-70% of all species.

The vast majority of species went extinct during the Permian-Triassic extinction event, though a handful survived into the Early Triassic.

[2] Many productids are covered in hollow tubular spines, which are characteristic of the group.

A number of functions for the spines have been proposed, including as a defensive mechanism against predators.