Pustulinae

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Pustulinae is an extinct subfamily of brachiopods that lived in the oceans during the Early Carboniferous period (roughly Tournaisian to Visean). They were medium to large shells and are named after the type genus Pustula. Pustulinae belongs to the order Productida and the family Echinoconchidae.

Subgroups within Pustulinae include Etheridgina, Pustula, Scutepustula, and Septarinia.

For much of the 20th century, scientists debated exactly where Pustulinae fit among related groups because Buxtonia, Pustula, and Juresania often shifted in classification. The 1965 Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology emphasized internal features (like the cardinal process) for classification, while the 2000 revision focused on external shell features, leading to different groupings.

In 2002, Leighton and Maples used several phylogenetic analyses and found that Buxtoniinae, Echinoconchinae, Pustulinae, and Juresaniinae form the family Echinoconchidae. This supports Pustulinae as part of Echinoconchidae alongside related subfamilies.