SYSTEMATICS OF THE RANINIDAE (CRUSTACEA, DECAPODA, BRACHYURA), WITH ACCOUNTS OF 3 NEW GENERA AND 2 NEW SPECIES

Reexamination of the Raninidae reveals revised relationships of ranini d genera, both fossil and Recent. Symethis Weber is removed from the R aninidae and placed in the newly erected Symethidae under the Raninoid ea. One subfamily is reestablished, Palaeocorystinae, and several subg enera are elevated to generic status: Notopocorystes McCoy, Eucorystes Bell, and Cretacoranina Mertin within the Palaeocorystinae. Lysirude Goeke, within the Lyreidinae, is distinguished as a discrete genus rat her than as a subgenus of Lyreidus De Haan. Additionally, three new ge nera are described: Macroacaena, within the Lyreidinae and Carinaranin a and Quasilaeviranina within the Raninoidinae. Two new raninid specie s, Laeviranina goedertorum and Carinaranina marionae, from the Eocene Hoko River Formation of Washington, U.S.A., are established. Descripti ons of three species previously described by Rathbun are emended based upon new fossil material: Carinaranina willapensis (Rathbun) new comb ination, Laeviranina lewisanus (Rathbun) and L. vaderensis (Rathbun). The description of Eumorphocorystes sculptus Binkhorst is emended. Phy logenetic relationships within the Raninidae are explored using parsim ony analyses. A hypothetical phylogeny is established for the Raninida e, including fossil and extant genera. One result of these analyses is the importance of using character states from the oldest recognized s pecies for fossil genera, while continuing to use character states of the type for extant genera.