Megasurcula howei is an extinct species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pseudomelatomidae, the turrids and allies.[1]
| Megasurcula howei | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Conoidea |
| Family: | Pseudomelatomidae |
| Genus: | Megasurcula |
| Species: | †M. howei
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| Binomial name | |
| †Megasurcula howei Hanna and Hertlein, 1938
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| Synonyms | |
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Description
editThe 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
editFossils of this marine species have been found in Miocene strata of the Temblor Formation, California.
References
edit- ^ Bulletin of American Paleontology, California Acad. Sci., Proc, 4th ser., 4, VOL. XXXIII (1949-1952)
- ^ Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642 : Megasurcula howei
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