Bivalvia - Cardiida - Mesodesmatidae
Synonyms: Donacillidae Macpherson and Gabriel 1962, Myadesmidae Clark 1922
Parent taxon: Mactroidea according to J. H. Signorelli 2019
See also Bouchet et al. 2010, Carter et al. 2011, Clark and Arnold 1923, Glenn 1904, Nevesskaja 2009, Saul 1989, Signorelli and Carter 2016 and Vokes 1980
Sister taxa: Anatinellidae, Cardiliidae, Mactridae
Subtaxa: Califadesma Davilinae Donacilla Mesodesmatinae Myadesma Paphies
Type: Mesodesma
Ecology: facultatively mobile infaunal suspension feeder
Distribution:
• Quaternary of Australia (8 collections), Chile (12), Djibouti (3), Eritrea (3), Greece (2), Japan (1), New Zealand (1), Peru (12), Saudi Arabia (1), South Africa (1), Türkiye (1), United States (7: Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York)
• Pliocene of Australia (1), Costa Rica (1), Italy (1), New Zealand (2), Peru (1), the United Kingdom (2)
• Miocene of Australia (2), Indonesia (1), Japan (1), United States (1: California)
• Oligocene of Canada (1: British Columbia)
• Eocene of Mexico (1), Saudi Arabia (1), United States (5: California, Oregon, Texas)
• Cretaceous of Chile (1), United States (13: California)
Total: 87 collections including 93 occurrences