Protanisoptera

Protanisoptera is an extinct clade of winged insects that lived during the Permian period. They were originally established as a suborder of Odonata, but are now are generally considered a member of the superorder Odonatoptera. They are the sister group to the Discoidalia, a clade including modern Odonata. Their wings have a structure resembling the pterostigmata of modern Odonata due to convergent evolution, though it is crossed by the anterior radial vein unlike in true pterostigmata which are limited to the area between the costa and RA.

Classification

The following taxa are included in Protanisoptera.

Clade †Protanisoptera
* Family †Pholidoptilidae
** †Pholidoptilon – Baitugan Formation, Russia, Middle Permian
* Family †Polytaxineuridae
** †Polytaxineura – Warner's Bay, Croudace Bay Formation, Australia, Late Permian
* Clade †Ditaxineuromorpha
** Family †Permaeschnidae
*** †Gondvanoptilon – Irati Formation, Brazil, Early Permian
*** †Permaeschna – Iva-Gora Beds Formation, Russia, Middle Permian
** Clade †Ditaxineurida
*** Family †Callimokaltaniidae
**** †Callimokaltania – Mitina Formation, Russia, Middle Permian
*** Superfamily †Ditaxineuroidea
**** Family †Ditaxineuridae
***** †Ditaxineura – Wellington Formation, Kansas, United States, Early Permian
***** †Proditaxineura – Chekarda site, Koshelevka Formation, Russia, Early Permian
**** Family †Hemizygopteridae
***** †Hemizygopteron – Barda locality, Koshelevka Formation, Russia, Early Permian
***** †Bansheepteron – Gonfaron, Pélitique Formation, France, Early–Middle Permian
* incertae sedis
** †Ditaxineurella – Chekarda site, Koshelevka Formation, Russia, Early Permian

The families Camptotaxineuridae and Kaltanoneuridae were originally included in Protanisoptera, but were excluded from the group by Huguet et al.. The former family possibly belongs to the Palaeodictyoptera, while the latter is now included in the Protozygoptera.