Megasurcula howei

Extinct species of gastropod

Megasurcula howei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Pseudomelatomidae
Genus: Megasurcula
Species:
M. howei
Binomial name
Megasurcula howei
Hanna and Hertlein, 1938
Synonyms
  • Megasurcula etheringtoni Weaver, 1943
  • Megasurcula keepi (Arnold) Grant and Gale, 1931

Megasurcula howei is an extinct species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pseudomelatomidae, the turrids and allies.[1]

Description

The length of the shell attains 36 mm, its diameter 23.6 mm.

This high-spired, biconic species differs from Megasurcula condonana (Anderson and Martin, 1914) by having a smoothly conic spire and relatively narrower body whorl. When the body whorl angulation is used as a point of reference, in non-apertural view, the upper cone of M. howei is relatively higher than the lower cone, whereas the reverse is true in specimens of the stout-shelled M. condonana. Further differences are the more acute sutural angle and the concave profile of M. condonana.

It is closely related to † Megasurcula guayasensis of the Miocene in Ecuador, but differs by being less slender, a bit taller and less finely noded.[2]

Distribution

Fossils of this marine species have been found in Miocene strata of the Temblor Formation, California.

References

  1. ^ Bulletin of American Paleontology, California Acad. Sci., Proc, 4th ser., 4, VOL. XXXIII (1949-1952)
  2. ^ Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642 : Megasurcula howei Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  • Hanna and Hertlein, 1938, Journal of Paleontology v. 12 no. 1 p. 107
  • California Academy of Sciences: Megasurcula howei
Taxon identifiers
Megasurcula howei