Systematics of the Chitinozoa

In the period 1930-1960 in total 15 genera were proposed in three families—Lagenochitinidae, Conochitinidae, and Desmochitinidae—of the order Chitinozoa Eisenack, 1931. Not including two withdrawn for technical reasons, up to August 1966 36 generic names had been validly proposed, three of which are considered to be synonyms. Four new genera have been announced informally at recent meetings of the C.I.M.P. subcommittee for Chitinozoa and five more new genera are discussed informally in this paper. Of these 45 genera, 42 are assigned here to five tribes. Overall size and morphology, structure of the prosome complex, aboral differentiations, and structure of the wall layers have been used as distinguishing criteria. The shorter stratigraphic ranges of the present genera indicate the soundness of the systematic nomenclature now developing.