Megasurcula howei

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

Megasurcula howei
Scientific classification
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

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

  • Hanna and Hertlein, 1938, Journal of Paleontology v. 12 no. 1 p. 107
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