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Order Pourtalesioida Mintz, 1968, p. 1287

Diagnosis

"Exocyclic Atelostomata with a typical disjunct and fused (to varying degrees) apical system, and a meridosternous plastron." (Mintz 1968: p. 1287).

Remarks

Mintz (1968: p. 1287-1288) elevated the Pourtalesiidae to ordinal rank "in recognition of their unique morphology and the present inability to relate them to any of the other recognized orders". Today it is clear that pourtalesiids are derived urechinid holasteroid echinoids and the order Pourtalesioida is not used in recent classifications. Mintz, L. W. 1968. Echinoids of the Mesozoic families Collyritidae d'Orbigny, 1853 and Disasteridae Gras, 1848. Journal of Paleontology 42, 1272-1288.