Bellerophontidae

Various views of Bellerophon yochelsoni, from Pan & Erwin (2002).

Belongs within: Amphigastropoda.

The Bellerophontidae were an Ordovician to Triassic family of coiled molluscs. They were superficially similar to small nautiloids with a deep sinus or slit at the aperture on the outer side of the coil. The umbilicus was narrow or absent, and the shell was ornamented by prominent growth lines (Knight et al. 1960). Most authors have considered the bellerophontids as basal (probably stem-)gastropods, though there is some debate on whether they underwent torsion like modern gastropods.

<==Bellerophontidae
    |  i. s.: Stachella PE94
    |--Bucanopsis Ulrich 1897 [Bucanopsinae] BR05
    |--Cymbularia Koken 1896 [Cymbulariidae, Cymbulariinae] BR05
    |--Bellerophontinae BR05
    |    |--Liljevallospira Knight 1945 [Liljevallospiridae] BR05
    |    `--Bellerophon Montfort 1808 BR05
    |         |--B. heterocanalicutus Pan & Yu 1996 PE02
    |         |--B. (Bellerophon) yochelsoni Pan & Erwin 2002 PE02
    |         `--B. zhesiensis DX84
    `--Knightitinae [Knightitidae] BR05
         |--Knightites Moore 1941 BR05
         `--Retispira Knight 1945 W63, PE02
              |--*R. bellireticulata Knight 1945 PE02 [=Knightites (*Retispira) bellireticulata W63]
              |--R. matanensis Pan & Yu 1993 PE02
              |--R. multicancellata Yu in Wang & Xi 1980 PE02
              |--R. sinensis Pan & Erwin 2002 PE02
              |--R. strictocanaliculata Yu in Wang & Xi 1980 PE02
              |--R. strictura Yu in Wang & Xi 1980 PE02
              `--R. texana Yochelson 1960 PE02

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[BR05] Bouchet, P., J.-P. Rocroi, J. Frýda, B. Hausdorf, W. Ponder, Á. Valdés & A. Warén. 2005. Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia 47 (1-2): 1-397.

[DX84] Ding Y., Xia G., Duan C., Li W., Liu X. & Liang Z. 1984. Study on the early Permian stratigraphy and fauna in Zhesi district, Nei Mongol Zizhiqu (Inner Mongolia). Bulletin Tianjin Institure Geol. Min. Res. 10.

Knight, J. B., L. R. Cox, A. M. Keen, R. L. Batten, E. L. Yochelson & R. Robertson. 1960. Gastropoda—Systematic description. In: Moore, R. C. (ed.) Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology pt I. Mollusca 1. Mollusca—General Features. Scaphopoda. Amphineura. Monoplacophora. Gastropoda—General Features. Archaeogastropoda and some (mainly Paleozoic) Caenogastropoda and Opisthobranchia pp. I169-I310. Geological Society of America, Inc. and University of Kansas Press.

[PE94] Pan H.-Z. & D. H. Erwin. 1994. Gastropod diversity patterns in south China during the Chihsia-Ladinian and their mass extinction. Palaeoworld 4: 249-262.

[PE02] Pan, H.-Z., & D. H. Erwin. 2002. Gastropods from the Permian of Guangxi and Yunnan Provinces, south China. Journal of Paleontology 76 (Memoir 56): 1-49.

[W63] Waterhouse, J. B. 1963. Permian gastropods of New Zealand. Part 1 – Bellerophontacea and Euomphalacea. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 6 (1): 88-112.