†SUPERORDER THORACICALCAREA GALE, 2015

Diagnosis: As described by Gale (2015a); extant taxa are monophyletic by molecular analyses. Thoracicans with five or more plates composed of calcite, or secondarily lost; living taxa with a pre-orally positioned adductor muscle and no comb collar around mantle aperture; first pair of thoracopods modified into mouth cirri (maxillipeds).