Minchinellidae

Minchinellidae Temporal range: Jurassic–recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Porosphaera globularis fossil from the Cretaceous of Germany
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Porifera
Class:	Calcarea
Order:	Lithonida Vacelet, 1981
Family:	Minchinellidae Dendy & Row, 1913
Genera
see text.
Synonyms
Bactronellidae Laubenfels, 1955 Petrostomidae Laubenfels, 1936 Porosphaeridae Laubenfels, 1955

Minchinellidae is a family of calcareous sponges, members of the class Calcarea. ^[1] It is the only family in the monotypic order Lithonida. The families Petrobionidae (genus Petrobiona ) ^[2] and Lepidoleuconidae (genus Lepidoleucon ) ^[3] have also sometimes been placed within Lithonida, though more recently they have been moved to the order Baerida. ^[4] Thanks to their hypercalcified structure, minchinellids have a fossil record reaching as far back as the Jurassic Period. ^{[3] [4]}

Description

Minchinellids are hypercalcified sponges. They have a robust skeleton of tetractine (four-rayed) calcareous spicules. The tetractine spicules are propeller-shaped, with three curved actines (rays) radiating perpendicular to a straight basal actine. These spicules may be linked by their basal actines or cemented together by calcite. The skeleton is reinforced with layers of loose diapason (tuning fork-shaped) spicules. Minchinellid sponges have a leuconoid canal system. ^{[3] [4]}

List of genera

• † Bactronella Hinde, 1884 [Jurassic–Miocene, Holocene?] ^[3]
• Minchinella Kirkpatrick, 1908 [Holocene]
• Monoplectroninia Pouliquen & Vacelet, 1970 [Holocene]
• † Muellerithalmia Reitner, 1987 [Upper Jurassic] ^[3]
• Petrostroma Döderlein, 1892 [Cretaceous–Holocene]
• Plectroninia Hinde, 1900 [Jurassic?, Cretaceous–Holocene]
• † Porosphaera Steinmann, 1878 [Cretaceous] ^[3]
• † Porosphaerella Welter, 1911 [Cretaceous] ^[3]
• † Retispinopora Brydone, 1912 [Cretaceous–Paleocene] ^[3]
• † Sagittularia Welter, 1911 [Cretaceous] ^[3]
• Tulearinia Vacelet, 1977 [Holocene]

References

1. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Minchinellidae Dendy & Row, 1913". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2019-03-20.
2. Vacelet, Jean; Borojevic, Radovan; Boury-Esnault, Nicole; Manuel, Michaël (2002), Hooper, John N. A.; Van Soest, Rob W. M.; Willenz, Philippe (eds.), "Order Lithonida Vacelet, 1981, Recent", Systema Porifera, Boston, MA: Springer US, pp. 1185–1192, doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-0747-5_121, ISBN   978-0-306-47260-2
3. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology Part E, Revised. Porifera, Volume 3: Classes Demospongea, Hexactinellida, Heteractinida & Calcarea, xxxi + 872 p., 506 fig., 1 table, 2004, available here. ISBN   0-8137-3131-3.
4. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology Part E, Revised. Porifera, Volumes 4 & 5: Hypercalcified Porifera, Paleozoic Stromatoporoidea & Archaeocyatha, liii + 1223 p., 665 figs., 2015, available here. ISBN   978-0-9903621-2-8.

External links

• http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/browse/tree