Synopsis of the Genera of Tympanida.
I. Subfamily Protympanida. Two horizontal rings (upper mitral ring and lower basal ring) bisected by the complete sagittal ring. |  | Two horizontal rings connected by two columellæ. |  | One complete sagittal ring (no frontal ring), | 425. Protympanium. | ||
| Two horizontal rings connected by four columellæ (the halves of the sagittal and the frontal ring). |  | No equatorial ring. | | No galear and thoracal bows, | 426. Acrocubus. | ||
| Galear and thoracal bows, | 427. Toxarium. | ||||||
| An equatorial ring. | | Equatorial ring complete, | 428. Microcubus. | ||||
| Equatorial ring incomplete, | 429. Octotympanum. | ||||||
| Two horizontal rings connected by six or eight columellæ (three or four vertical rings). |  | Six columellæ (three meridional rings), | 430. Tympaniscus. | ||||
| Eight columellæ (four meridional rings), | 431. Tympanidium. | ||||||
II. Subfamily Paratympanida. Two horizontal rings fenestrated. |  | Two horizontal rings closed by a lattice-plate, connected by numerous columellæ. | | Two rings unequal (columellæ divergent), | 432. Paratympanum. | ||
| Two rings equal (columellæ parallel), | 433. Lithotympanum. | ||||||
I. Subfamily Protympanida. Two horizontal rings (upper mitral ring and lower basal ring) bisected by the complete sagittal ring. | ||||||||
| Two horizontal rings connected by two columellæ. | ||||||||
| One complete sagittal ring (no frontal ring), | ||||||||
| 425. Protympanium. | ||||||||
| Two horizontal rings connected by four columellæ (the halves of the sagittal and the frontal ring). | ||||||||
| No equatorial ring. | ||||||||
| No galear and thoracal bows, | ||||||||
| 426. Acrocubus. | ||||||||
| Galear and thoracal bows, | ||||||||
| 427. Toxarium. | ||||||||
| An equatorial ring. | ||||||||
| Equatorial ring complete, | ||||||||
| 428. Microcubus. | ||||||||
| Equatorial ring incomplete, | ||||||||
| 429. Octotympanum. | ||||||||
| Two horizontal rings connected by six or eight columellæ (three or four vertical rings). | ||||||||
| Six columellæ (three meridional rings), | ||||||||
| 430. Tympaniscus. | ||||||||
| Eight columellæ (four meridional rings), | ||||||||
| 431. Tympanidium. | ||||||||
II. Subfamily Paratympanida. Two horizontal rings fenestrated. | ||||||||
| Two horizontal rings closed by a lattice-plate, connected by numerous columellæ. | ||||||||
| Two rings unequal (columellæ divergent), | ||||||||
| 432. Paratympanum. | ||||||||
| Two rings equal (columellæ parallel), | ||||||||
| 433. Lithotympanum. | ||||||||
III. Subfamily Dystympanida. Mitral ring fenestrated, basal ring simple. | ||||||||
| Two horizontal rings connected by numerous (six to eight or more columellæ). | ||||||||
| Mitral ring closed by a lattice-plate, basal ring simple, | ||||||||
| 434. Dystympanium. | ||||||||
IV. Subfamily Eutympanida. Two horizontal rings (upper mitral ring and lower basal ring) simple. Apical and basal parts of the sagittal ring lost. | ||||||||
| Two horizontal rings connected by two or three columellæ (four or five open gates). | ||||||||
| Two columellæ (parts of the sagittal ring), | ||||||||
| 435. Parastephanus. | ||||||||
| Three columellæ (parts of the half sagittal and the frontal ring), | ||||||||
| 436. Prismatium. | ||||||||
| Two horizontal rings connected by four or more columellæ (six or eight or more open gates). | ||||||||
| Four columellæ | ||||||||
| Two rings unequal, | ||||||||
| 437. Pseudocubus. | ||||||||
| Two rings equal, | ||||||||
| 438. Lithocubus. | ||||||||
| Six to eight or more columellæ. | ||||||||
| Two rings unequal, | ||||||||
| 439. Circotympanum. | ||||||||
| Two rings equal, | ||||||||
| 440. Eutympanium. | ||||||||
III. Subfamily Dystympanida. Mitral ring fenestrated, basal ring simple. | | Two horizontal rings connected by numerous (six to eight or more columellæ). |  | Mitral ring closed by a lattice-plate, basal ring simple, | 434. Dystympanium. | ||
IV. Subfamily Eutympanida. Two horizontal rings (upper mitral ring and lower basal ring) simple. Apical and basal parts of the sagittal ring lost. |  | Two horizontal rings connected by two or three columellæ (four or five open gates). | | Two columellæ (parts of the sagittal ring), | 435. Parastephanus. | ||
| Three columellæ (parts of the half sagittal and the frontal ring), | 436. Prismatium. | ||||||
| Two horizontal rings connected by four or more columellæ (six or eight or more open gates). |  | Four columellæ | | Two rings unequal, | 437. Pseudocubus. | ||
| Two rings equal, | 438. Lithocubus. | ||||||
| Six to eight or more columellæ. | | Two rings unequal, | 439. Circotympanum. | ||||
| Two rings equal, | 440. Eutympanium. | ||||||
Subfamily 1. Protympanida, Haeckel.
Definition.—Tympanida with two bisected horizontal rings, connected by the complete vertical sagittal ring. (The upper mitral ring and the lower basal ring become divided by the complete primary or sagittal ring into two horizontal symmetrical gates, two mitral gates on the apical and two basal gates on the basal pole.)
Genus 425. Protympanium,[[44]] Haeckel, 1881, Prodromus, p. 447 (sensu emend.).
Definition.—Tympanida with two bisected horizontal rings, connected by two vertical columellæ.
The genus Protympanium, is the most simple form of all Tympanida, and probably the common ancestral form of this family. It arises from Lithocircus by the development of two horizontal rings, perpendicular to the primary sagittal ring. The upper or mitral ring arises by lateral union of two pairs of superior branches, the lower or basal ring by union of two pairs of basal branches of the primary vertical ring.
1. Protympanium primordiale, n. sp.