Noritaceae

From Palaeos.org

Systematic Paleontology

Class: Cephalopoda

Subclass: Ammonoidea

Order: Ceratitida

Superfamily: Noritaceae

The Noritaceae is a superfamily in the ammonoid order Cerititida, known from the lower and middle Triassic, characterized by typically smooth, more or less discoidal, shells with rounded or truncate peripheries and ceratitic sutures, but producing globose, carinate, or ribbed offshoots that may have simplified or complicated sutures.

Arkell, et al, 1957, in the Treatise part L, divided the Noritaceae into the Gyronitidae, Fleminitidae, Xenoceltitidae, Paranoritidae, Proptychitidae, Paranannitidae, Ussuriida, Hedenstroemiidae, Kashmiritidae, Meekoceratidae, Noritidae, Prionitidae, and Sibiritidae. The Kashmiritidae and Xenoceltitidae have since been removed to the Xenodiscaceae, the Hedenstroemiidae to the Sagecerataceae, reducing that original 13 families to ten. See revised list at bottom

Meanwhile newer families have been established, some as Meekocerataceae, Some of which should probably be regarded as tenuous.

Subsequent classifications have resulted in a smaller Noritaceae and a new Meekocerataceae (sometimes Meekoceratoidea to go along with the ICZN ruling on superfamily suffix). As perceived in the Treatise (Arkell 1957) Meekocerataceae Waagen, 1895, was a synonym for Noritaceae Karpinsky, 1889, which takes precedence.

The revised and more limited Noritaceae includes the Inyoitidae , Lanceolitidae , Noritidae, Olenikitidae, Stephanitidae , and Ussuriidae. The Ophiceratidae (misspelled Ophioceratidae) started off here after being removed from the Otocerataceae, but later became parf of the Meekocerataceae.

The Inyoitidae were separated from the Xenoceltitidae where they were a subfamily, the Inyoitinae. The rest of the Xenoceltitidae was sent to the Xenodiscaceae. The Laceolitdae, represented by Lanceolites, is separated from its previous position in the Hedenstroemiidae which are now incuded in the Sagecerataceae. Olenikitidae is based on the formerly siberitid genus, Olenikites, the family otherwise removed to the Ceratitacdeae in exchange for the Stephanitidae.

The Meekocerataceae as distinguished from the Noritaceae (in contrast to their previous synonomy) includes the Albanitidae, Arctoceratidae, Clypeoceratidae, Flemingitidae, Gyronitidae, Meekoceratidae, Mullericeratidae, Ophiceratidae, Paranannitidae, Prionitidae, Proptychitidae. The Flemingitidae, Gyronitidae, Meekoceratidae, Paranannitidae, Prionitidae, Proptychitidae were included in the original Noritaceae.

The Arctoceratidae were included in the Meekoceratdae as the Arctoceratinae, type Arctoceras. The Albanitidae was established for Albanites, a genus in the Noritidae, which seems to tie the Meekocerataceae to the Noritaceae. Clypeoceratidae is based on Clypeoceras Smith 1913, which may be the same as Aspidites Waagen 1893. Perhaps the family, if valid, should be the Aspiditidae instead. Mullericeratidae was established for Mullericeras. The type is Mullericeras spitiensis which is based on Aspidites spitiensis,( = Clypeoceras spitiense). Clypeoceras (? Aspidites) was originally included in the Paranoritidae, so perhaps the Clypeoceratidae and Mullericeratidae are better regarded as subfamilies (inae endings) of that family.

By conbining the larger, better established families in both groups, the Noritaceae is defined as containing the:

Noritidae

Ophiceratidae

Gyronitidae

Fleminitidae

Inyoitidae

Paranoritidae

Proptychitidae

Paranannitidae

Arctoceratidae

Meekoceratidae

Prionitidae

Sibiritidae

Stephanitidae

Ussuriidae

Albanites is here retained in the Noritidae, Lanceolites in the Hedenstroemiidae, which puts it in the Sageceratceae, and Clypeoceras and its varient Mullericeras in the Paranoritidae.

Remember, taxonomies are in large part the writer's perspective, even if the result of careful study, and are simply works in progress.

CREDITS: JM 7/19/11