摘要

Exceptionally well-preserved Late Triassic unionoids from Silesia, Poland, show prominently ornamented juvenile shells and umbonal muscle attachments that are similar to Margaritifera, which are anatomically the least derived among extant unionoids. Their phosphatized (originally chitinous and impregnated with calcium phosphate) gill supports lacked transverse connections, and occasionally some of them were separated from others, being thus at the filibranch grade, like their trigonioid ancestors. Several separate small foot elevator attachments in these unionoids indicate Trigonodidae adaptation to marine or brackish water, in which the original trigonioid strong single attachment was already split into two in the Early Triassic. The ribbing of juvenile shells suggests a change to deeper infaunal life for juvenile stages, and generally less efficient near-surface locomotion, with a wedge-like foot, in adults. Much later the unionoids became eulamellibranchial, which promoted the brooding of the fish that their larvae parasitize. To accomodate the classification of the order under this scenario of evolutionary changes, a new suborder Silesunionina is proposed for its filibranch members. It includes the Silesunionidae fam. nov., with the location of umbonal muscles similar to that in the extant underived unionoids, and the Unionellidae fam. nov., with umbonal muscles attached to the external wall of the umbonal cavity. The early Late Triassic (Carnian) Silesunio parvus gen. et sp. nov. and latest Triassic (Rhaetian) Tihkia(?) silesiaca sp. nov. are proposed.

  • 出版日期2011-11