A REVIEW AND NEW CLASSIFICATION OF THE BRACHIOPOD ORDER PRODUCTIDA

The authors discuss the large and diverse Upper Palaeozoic strophomeni de (sensu lato) group of brachiopods, the Productida, the problems inh erent in previous classifications and present a new classification wit h diagnoses down to subfamily and tribe levels. In describing producti des it is useful to differentiate between the main corpus (new term) c avity and peripheral cavities. Study of the ways in which the two valv es grew leads to more precise identification of the visceral and trail regions of the shell. New data on early productides, from the lower t o mid Devonian, has allowed the group to be studied in its complete st ratigraphical range, as well as its wide morphological diversity, and has led to the recognition of numerous Lineages and homeomorphic relat ionships. The new classification presented builds on these lineages ph yletically and differs markedly from previous classifications in which some similar taxa, now recognized as having different origins, were g rouped together. We diagnose two new tribes, the Krotoviini and the Ko zlowskiini.