Rhynchonellata - Athyridida - Meristidae
Parent taxon: Meristelloidea according to A. Williams et al. 2002
Sister taxa: Kellerella, Meristellidae, Triathyrididae
Subtaxa: Camarophorellinae Meristinae Rowleyellinae
Type: Merista
Ecology: stationary low-level epifaunal suspension feeder
Distribution:
• Carboniferous of Australia (1 collection), Canada (1: Nunavut), Mexico (1), United States (11: Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas)
• Devonian of Afghanistan (1), Austria (1), Belarus (1), Belgium (4), Canada (1: Ontario), China (2), the Czech Republic (11), Germany (3), Italy (2), Morocco (3), Myanmar (2), Poland (1), the Russian Federation (6), Ukraine (3), United States (12: Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania)
• Whitwellian of Canada (3: Northwest Territories)
• Niagaran of Canada (1: Québec)
• Silurian of Canada (29: Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Québec, Yukon Territory), the Czech Republic (3), Italy (1), Mexico (9), Mongolia (1), the Russian Federation (6), Spain (1), United States (37: Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wisconsin), Venezuela (1)
• Ordovician of the United Kingdom (1)
Total: 160 collections including 170 occurrences