Brachiopods of the Redefined Family Tritoechiidae from the Ordovician of Kazakhstan and South Urals

The Tritoechiidae are redefined following study of nine species of the gene ra Tritoechia, Eremotoechia, Martellia Pomatotrema, Protambonites and Korin evskia nov. gen. in Kazakhstanian brachiopod faunas from the upper Tremadoe to lower Caradoc. Six species are new: Tritoechia crassa, T. tokmakensis, Eremotoechia inchoata, E. spissa, Martellia reliqua and Pomatotrema feciind a. In key characters of shell morphology the Tritoechiidae demonstrate clos e affinity with billingsellids and are therefore reassigned to the superfam ily Billingselloidea. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.