''Megasurcula condonana'' is an extinct
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
sea snail, a marine
gastropod 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 ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Pseudomelatomidae
Pseudomelatomidae is a family of predatory sea snails, marine gastropods included in the superfamily Conoidea (previously Conacea) and part of the Neogastropoda ( Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).
In 1995 Kantor elevated the subfamily Pseudomelatomina ...
, the turrids and allies.
Description
The length of the shell attains 32 mm, its diameter 18.3 mm.
The shell shows a characteristic stout biconic profile and 11-12 strong nodes encircling the
body whorl. The
Kern River
The Kern River, previously Rio de San Felipe, later La Porciuncula, is an Endangered, Wild and Scenic river in the U.S. state of California, approximately long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Bakersfield ...
specimens
differ somewhat by having a uniformly lower
spire
A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires a ...
with sutures riding up higher onto preceding whorls so that only the nodes on the body whorl are exposed.
Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642 : ''Megasurcula condonana''
Distribution
Fossils of this marine species have been found in Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
strata in Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
and California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, USA.
References
* Anderson, Frank Marion (1863-1945) & Bruce Martin 1914. Neocene record in the Temblor basin, California, and Neocene deposits of the San Juan district, San Luis Obispo County. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, series 4, vol. 4, pp. 15–112, pl. 1-10.
External links
Paleobio database: ''Megasurcula condonana''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Megasurcula Condonana
condonana
Gastropods described in 1914