† ''Bembexia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

sea snail Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

s. This genus is placed in the subfamily Eotomariinae, of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Eotomariidae Eotomariidae is an extinct family of gastropods in the clade Vetigastropoda Vetigastropoda is a major Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusc, mollusks that form a very ancient lineage (evol ...

. The shell characters resemble those of Balbinipleura. These snails have been interpreted as herbivorous, probably grazing on algae. These fossils are found in sedimentary rocks deposited from 340 to , including the

Hamilton Group The Hamilton Group is a Devonian-age geological group in the Appalachian region of the United States. It is present in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, northwestern Virginia and Ontario, Canada. It is mainly composed of mar ...

of eastern North America. Other fossil sites include

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

including the UK,

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Species

Species within the genus ''Bembexia'' include: * '' Bembexia adjutor'' * '' Bembexia babini'' * '' Bembexia chapernowni'' * '' Bembexia crenatostriata'' * '' Bembexia disjuncta'' * '' Bembexia gradilispira'' * '' Bembexia headillus'' * '' Bembexia insolita'' * '' Bembexia inumbilicata'' * '' Bembexia laevis'' * '' Bembexia larteti'' * '' Bembexia micula'' * '' Bembexia minima'' * '' Bembexia neapolitana'' * '' Bembexia planidorsalis'' * '' Bembexia procteri'' * '' Bembexia seminuda'' * '' Bembexia testis''

References

* * * Eotomariidae {{paleo-gastropod-stub