Many species of freshwater snails that are characterized by a turreted shell were originally placed within the genus Melania Lamarck, 1799. This genus as delimited by authors of the late 19th and early 20th century contained hundreds of species, and was successively split into different groupings.[8]
Over time, infrageneric groups (subgenera) were elevated to the rank of independent genera and the genus Melania was elevated to the rank of a family, Melanidae.[9]
However, the genus name Melania Lamarck, 1799 was demonstrated to be a junior synonym of the genus name Thiara Röding, 1798. Consequently, the family had to be renamed Thiaridae. Moreover, the Melanidae as traditionally circumscribed were found to be polyphyletic, containing species from many different groups, which were successively recognized as distinct families, such as the Pachychilidae, Semisulcospiridae, Pleuroceridae, Melanopsidae, and Paludomidae. Therefore, the Thiaridae as currently circumscribed contain fewer species than the Melaniidae.[10]
Distribution
This family of snails is found worldwide, and are particularly diverse in the tropics and subtropics.[1]
Ecology
These snails are freshwater inhabitants of temperate and warm zones.[1]
† Pachymelania E. A. Smith, 1893:[11] synonym of † Pachychiloides Wenz, 1939 (junior homonym of Pachymelania E. A. Smith, 1893; Pachychiloides Wenz, 1939 is a replacement name)
^ abcdeBandel K. & Kowalke T. (1997). "Eocene Melanotarebia n.g. and its relation among modern Thiaridae (Caenogastropoda: Cerithioidea)". N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. Mh., Stuttgart 11: 683-695, 10 figs. abstractArchived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine.
^Brot A. (1874-79). Die Melaniaceen (Melanidae) in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen. Nürnberg, Bauer & Raspe.
^Thiele J. (1929). Teil 1. Loricata; Gastropoda: Prosobranchia. Handbuch der Systematischen Weichtierkunde. Jena, Gustav Fischer Verlag. 1: 1-376.
^ abGlaubrecht M. (1996). Evolutionsökologie und Systematik am Beispiel von Süß- und Brackwasserschnecken (Mollusca: Caenogastropoda: Cerithioidea): Ontogenese-Strategien, paläontologische Befunde und historische Zoogeographie. Leiden, Backhuys.
Glaubrecht M., Brinkmann N. & Pöppe J. (2009). "Diversity and disparity down under: Systematics, biogeography and reproductive modes of the marsupial freshwater Thiaridae (Caenogastropoda, Cerithioidea) in Australia". Zoosystematics and Evolution85(2): 199–275. doi:10.1002/zoos.200900004