Revision der Familie Pseudobigaleaidae Hoare, Mapes & Yancey, 2002 (Mollusca; Rostroconchia)

The following revision is based on extensive palaeobiological and phylogenetic investigations on the so-called modern rostroconchs of the order Conocardiida. The taxa of the hood-carrying family Pseudobigaleaidae Hoare, Mapes & Yancey are revised and compared with the second hood-carrying family, the Hippocardiidae Pojeta & Runnegar. Until present, the Pseudobigaleaidae was lacking precise definition and accurate description as well as proper placement within the current systematic arrangement of the Conocardiida. In contrast with the hippocardiids the pseudobigaleaids always lack the prominent rib which delimits the snout dorsally, but always possess a body furrow in front of the hood which terminates in a ventral sulcus. The family Pseudobigaleaidae is subdivided into four subf amilies, the Pseudobigaleainae Hoare, Mapes & Yancey [n. subfam.], the Bigaleinae n. subfam., the Bitrigonocardiinae n. subfam. and the Iapetocardiinae n. subfam. Twenty-six taxa on species level are assigned to the genera Pseudobigalea, Hadropipetta, Kandosoconcha, Nehedia, Redstonia, Bigalea, Bitrigonocardia n. gen., Iapetocardia n. gen., Avalanchia, Cassowarioides as well as Baiosoma of uncertain systematic position. Furthermore, the taxa Redstonia knaeckei n. sp. and Cassowarioides whitei n. sp. are erected. The descriptions of all subfamilies, genera and species are now based on a revised, completed and consistently used terminology of morphologie characters which allow precise discrimination and comparability of descriptions on all taxonomie levels. Preliminary phylogenetic results are provided which reveal a revised stratigraphie occurrence of the Pseudobigaleaidae from the Ordovician until the Pennsylvanian.