The European Tertiary Neritiliidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Neritopsina): indicators of tropical submarine cave environments and freshwater faunas

Abstract

The oldest freshwater neritiliid, Neritilia bisinuata , is described from the Middle Eocene of the Loire Basin. Another European species, N. neritinoides , ranging from the Lower Oligocene to Lower Miocene (Upper Burdigalian) is recognized; its habitat appears to have been freshwater, but very close to the sea. Two new marine neritiliid species from the Aquitaine Basin are described: Bourdieria favia sp. nov. from the Upper Oligocene and Pisulinella aucoini sp. nov. from the Lower Miocene. A third undescribed species from the Lower Miocene is referred to the same family and related to Pisulinella . The Oligocene species has a strong spiral sculpture, a character completely absent in previously known neritiliid species. The genus Agapilia , founded on juvenile N. neritinoides and adult Vitta picta , appears to be a junior synonym of the genus Vitta. The associated occurrence of shells of the families Neritiliidae, Neritopsidae and Pickworthiidae (well-known inhabitants of Indo-West Pacific submarine caves) at Peyrère suggest the first occurrence of a characteristic assemblage of dark submarine caves during the Oligocene. Both factorial analysis and relative abundance show that at Peyrère these families are associated with other cryptic fossils (various gastropods, bivalves, Brachiopoda, corals, Annelida). However, there are indications of other submarine cave assemblages in various Cenozoic deposits from the Palaeocene to the middle Miocene.

The modern environments of Molluscs in southern Mesopotamia, Iraq: A guide to paleogeographical reconstructions of Quaternary fluvial, palustrine and marine deposits

“…It is accordingly interesting to note some eastern tropical influences in the brackish-water gastropods (the modern Indo-West Pacific Cerithideopsilla, Tricula and Stenothyra). Such a biogeographic distribution is not the first record of an eastern link, the Stenothyridae family being present in European Paleogene to Middle Miocene deposits (LOZOUET, 1984(LOZOUET, , 2005. The Quaternary intruders from the Indo Pacific realm benefited from the warmer transgressive episode of the Holocene Optimum, in the same way as the reef and mangrove malacofaunas did when they invaded the northern Red Sea during the Last Interglacial optimum (MIS 5.5) (PLAZIAT, 1995;PLAZIAT et alii, 1998).…”

Genetic exchange between anchialine cave populations by means of larval dispersal: the case of a new gastropod species Neritilia cavernicola

“…Pisulina exclusively inhabits submarine caves (Kano & Kase 2000, 2002). Cryptic habitats have also been suggested for the Miocene genus Pisulinella and an undescribed Oligocene genus from France (Lozouet in press). Curiously, Neritiliidae contain no modern marine species that dwell outside of caves.…”

FILLING A GAP: THE FIRST OCCURRENCES OF EPIPHAXUM (CNIDARIA: HELIOPORACEA: LITHOTELESTIDAE) IN THE EOCENE, OLIGOCENE AND MIOCENE

“…It preserves the only accessible Upper Oligocene outcrops in France, rich in circa‐littoral and upper bathyal faunas (Lozouet 2003). Epiphaxum forms part of an extremely rich fauna (more than 400 species of Gastropoda) that is consistent with deposition at depths corresponding to the circa‐littoral zone at around 60–95 m (Lozouet 2004). The palaeocanyon assemblages from Peyrère comprise a mixture of various biocenoses (Lozouet 2004).…”

“…Epiphaxum forms part of an extremely rich fauna (more than 400 species of Gastropoda) that is consistent with deposition at depths corresponding to the circa‐littoral zone at around 60–95 m (Lozouet 2004). The palaeocanyon assemblages from Peyrère comprise a mixture of various biocenoses (Lozouet 2004). One assemblage is associated with a muddy sea‐floor at depths corresponding to the outer shelf or upper slope (circa‐littoral to upper bathyal).…”