Late Bashkirian-early Moscovian (Pennsylvanian) Productidae (Brachiopoda) from the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain)

The rich and diverse brachiopod faunas from the late Bashkirian-early Moscovian of the Cantabrian Mountains contain abundant productids. This study tackles with the most diversified family in the Suborder Productidina, the Productidae. Specimens come from carbonate rocks, the richest localities being from the upper part of the Valdeteja Formation and from the limestones of the San Emiliano Formation, late Bashkirian in age; and from the Cuera Limestones of late Bashkirian to earliest Moscovian age. Ten genera and 14 species are described. Three species, Alexenia? delepinei, Inflatia ovetensis and Duartea latoresensis, are new. Alexenia? delepinei nov. sp. is attributed to the genus Alexenia with some reservation because of the arrangement of its dorsal muscle field; it could belong to a new genus at the base of the Tribe Spyridiophorini or be the earliest representative of Alexenia. Duartea latoresensis nov. sp. is also one of the first representatives of the genus Duartea. On the contrary, Inflatia ovetensis nov. sp. is the youngest representative of a mainly Mississippian genus. The systematics of the suborder Productidina, the family Productidae and its subfamilies and tribes are discussed.