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The Echinoid Directory

Family Miocidaridae Durham & Melville, 1957

[ex Streptocidaridae Lambert , 1900, p. 49 (unavailable name: taxon not based on a valid genus); = Miocidaridae Durham & Melville, 1957, p. 252]

Diagnosis	Grade of cidaroid echinoids with: ambulacral-interambulacral suture imbricate; the adradial edge of interambulacral plates distinctly denticulate, at least adapically primary interambulacral tubercles crenulate and perforate; adoral tubercles with confluent areoles.
Range	Triassic - Lower Cretaceous; worldwide.
Remarks	Lambert (1900) set up the subfamily Streptocidaridae [sic] for three genera of cidaroid, Eotiaris, Miocidaris and Triadocidaris, that have imbricate sutures. This is not an available name according to the Zoological Code of Nomenclature because it is not based on an available generic name. Durham & Melville (1957) consequently proposed the substitute name Miocidaridae. As having imbricate sutures is a primitive character, the group is a non-monophyletic grade. Generic taxonomy of this group is highly problematic because of the incomplete nature of most type species. Durham, C. W. & Melville, R. V. 1957. A classification of echinoids. Journal of Paleontology 31, 242-272. Lambert, J. 1900. Etude sur quelques echinides de l'Infra-Lias et du Lias. Bulletin de la Societe des Sciences historiques et naturelles de l'Yonne 52 [for 1899], 3-57.

Diagnosis

Grade of cidaroid echinoids with:

ambulacral-interambulacral suture imbricate; the adradial edge of interambulacral plates distinctly denticulate, at least adapically
primary interambulacral tubercles crenulate and perforate; adoral tubercles with confluent areoles.

Range

Triassic - Lower Cretaceous; worldwide.

Remarks

Lambert (1900) set up the subfamily Streptocidaridae [sic] for three genera of cidaroid, Eotiaris, Miocidaris and Triadocidaris, that have imbricate sutures. This is not an available name according to the Zoological Code of Nomenclature because it is not based on an available generic name. Durham & Melville (1957) consequently proposed the substitute name Miocidaridae. As having imbricate sutures is a primitive character, the group is a non-monophyletic grade.

Generic taxonomy of this group is highly problematic because of the incomplete nature of most type species.

Durham, C. W. & Melville, R. V. 1957. A classification of echinoids. Journal of Paleontology 31, 242-272.

Lambert, J. 1900. Etude sur quelques echinides de l'Infra-Lias et du Lias. Bulletin de la Societe des Sciences historiques et naturelles de l'Yonne 52 [for 1899], 3-57.