Fifteen species (including 14 endemic and one epidenmic) of Palastraea were recorded in China. Some Chinese researchers subdivided Palastraea into several genera including Palastraea, Acmoheliophyllum, Palaeosmilastraea, and Parapalaeosmilia in light of characteristics of the epithecal wall. Detailed observations and examinations on some thin sections of Palastraea show, however, the morphologic characters of the epithecal wall seem to vary largely even within the same colony. For further understanding the taxonomic classification of Palastraea and its related taxa, 16 characters were chosen in this paper to make a cladistic analysis for 13 endemic species (with one being omitted) from China. The analysis yields two cladogrames, on which one strict consensus tree can be generated. The tree shows that the three genera including Acmoheliophyllum, Palaeosmilastraea, and Parapalaeosmilia are polyphyletic, which indicates the generic subdivision in light of the epithecal wall is not appropriate. Those species included in these three genera by some researchers should belong to one genus, namely Palastraea. The tree also shows that Palaeosmilastraea gracilis and P. gyorxtungensis are closely related and should be a sister group. They are identical in many characters and even occur in the same horizon at the same locality, therefore, could be the synonym.
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