On Paleozoic platycerate gastropods
Author
Nuetzel, Alexander
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8852-7688
SNSB-Bayerische Staatssammlung fuer Palaeontologie und Geologie, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 Muenchen, Germany & Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Paleontology and Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 Muenchen, Germany
nuetzel@snsb.de
Author
Ebbestad, Jan Ove
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8769-3572
GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 Muenchen, Germany
Author
Seuss, Barbara
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6615-8108
Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, Norbyvaegen 16, SE 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
Author
Munnecke, Axel
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6898-1082
Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, Norbyvaegen 16, SE 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
Author
Mapes, Royal H.
Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg, GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Loewenichstrasse 28, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
Author
Cook, Alex G.
Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79 th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA
text
Zitteliana
2023
2023-12-12
97
29
51
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zitteliana.97.115688
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zitteliana.97.115688
2747-8106-97-29
BA2DA07949064AC8AE1105E21BBF12B9
CA664780046A5F938793904BB13AEB75
Orthonychia enorme (
Lindstroem
, 1884)
Figs 3
, 4
, 5
, 6
, 7
, 8
1884 Platyceras enorme
sp. nov. -
Lindstroem
: 69, pl. 2, figs 59-72. cf. 1976
Platyceras (Orthonychia)
cf.
P. (Orthonychia) enorme
Lindstroem
, 1884 - Peel and Yochelson: 17.
Lectotype.
Selected here, NRM Mo 38219 from the Eke Formation at Rikvide, Gotland, illustrated by
Lindstroem
(1884
, pl. 2, figs 60, 61, re-illustrated here in Fig.
3A
. The specimen is laterally compressed and incomplete when it comes to height but shows the early ontogeny, the tube-like expansion of the shell and the distinct ornamentation.
Figure 3.
Orthonychia enorme
(
Lindstroem
, 1884)
(A)
Lectotype NRM 38219.
(A1-A5)
Right lateral, left lateral, posterior, anterior, and posterior oblique views.
(A6, A7)
Details of apex; illustrated by
Lindstroem
(1884
pl. 2, figs 60, 61).
(B)
Paralectotype NRM 38220.
(B1)
Detail of apex.
(B2-B3)
Left lateral, posterior oblique and right lateral views; illustrated by
Lindstroem
(1884
, pl. 2, figs 62, 63). Scale bar: 0.5 mm (
A1-A5, B2-B4
).
Other type material.
Lindstroem
(1884)
illustrated an additional six specimens from the same locality as the lectotype, and these are here considered paralectotypes (NRM Mo 38218, Mo 38220-Mo 38324); see Figs
3B
-
5B
. The identity of specimens listed by
Lindstroem
(1884)
from other localities cannot be established, with the exception of the specimen from Slite which is not conspecific with
O. enorme
(see below). The other localities mentioned by
Lindstroem
(1884)
span older strata (Djupvik and Klinteberget = Slite beds of Sheinwoodian/Homerian age; Havdhem and Hammar in
Kraeklingbo
= Hemse beds of Gorstian/Ludfordian age) and younger strata (Burgsvik = the Burgsvik Sandstone just overlying the Eke Formation).
Additional material.
Ca.
240 juvenile
shells (illustrated material SNSB-BSPG
2023 X 1-15
). from the
Eke Formation
at
Bodudd
(S
Gotland
,
Sweden
,
57°04'05.8"N
,
18° 11'34.7"E
, compare
Calner et al. 2004
, fig. 2) which is
Ludfordian
(
Ludlow
,
upper Silurian
) in age
.
Description of type material
(Figs
3
-
5
, Table
1
).
Largest shell 16.5 mm tall and 7.5 mm in apertural length (in lateral view). On average the shell is twice as tall as long (in lateral view). NRM Mo 38219 (Fig.
3A
) deviates by length of aperture being 75% of height, but the shell is laterally compressed. NRM Mo 38222 (Fig.
5B
) has an aperture length that is only about 40% of shell height. Rate of expansion high when viewed in a lateral perspective, but less when viewed anteriorly/posteriorly, making aperture sub-oval. Growth lines irregularly crenulated, but overall attitude is straight across posterior section of shell (Figs
3A3
,
4A4
), gently arched on lateral surfaces and curved into broad median sinus anteriorly. Here the growth lines are sinusoid with two asymmetrical crenulations of which the left has greater amplitude (Figs
3A4
,
4A3
). Although the intensity and irregularity of the crenulations vary, there are no major deviations from the overall co-marginal alignment. The co-marginal ribs or frills seen in early ontogeny widens into distinct growth increments, spaced less than 1 mm apart and ending in seemingly short lamellae. Fine radial striae may be present within each growth increment. Specimen NRM 38220 appears to have a mostly smooth shell with fine growth lines only, but increments with lamellae are visible on the initial part of the shell (Figs
3B3, B4
). Space between increments get narrower in late ontogeny (Fig.
4A, B
). Radial ornamentation is absent.
Table 1.
Measurements of type specimens of
Platyceras enorme
Lindstroem
, 1884.
- |
Height [cm] |
Width at aperture [cm] |
W/H |
NRM Mo 38219 |
0.82 |
0.6 |
0.73 |
NRM Mo 38220 |
1.5 |
0.83 |
0.55 |
NRM Mo 38221 |
1.4 |
0.73 |
0.52 |
NRM Mo 38222 |
1 |
0.42 |
0.42 |
NRM Mo 38223 |
1.65 |
0.75 |
0.45 |
Description of additional material from sieved bulk samples
(juvenile and encrusted shells, Figs
6
-
8
).
Shell with tightly coiled ca. 1.5-2.5 initial whorls including protoconch and early teleoconch; largest shell studied with SEM
4.1 mm
long,
1.9 mm
wide; encrusted specimens (forming cores of oncoids) probably belonging to the present species up to
20 mm
long; protoconch with round, convex whorls and slightly elevated spire, lacking ornament (but re-crystallized); encrusted (oncoid) specimens possibly belong to this species up to
20 mm
long; diameter of first whorl
0.17-0.25 mm
, diameter of protoconch
0.37-0.68 mm
(two measurements); protoconch/teleoconch-transition indistinct due to preservation (re-crystallization) but apparent by sudden onset of co-marginal ribs (may also appear as frills or lamellae) and rapid increase of expansion rate of whorl diameter; later teleoconch detaches and becomes uncoiled, bent to slightly elongated, slowly increasing in diameter, forming a cap-shaped tube; teleoconch ornamented by sharp, narrow co-marginal ribs separated by wide interspaces; strength of ribs and density of ribbing variable; ribs can also form lamellae; ribs appear much longer (lamellae) in specimens studied in thin sections than ribs in specimens from bulk samples suggesting that such lamellar ribs broke off during processing of sample; teleoconch also ornamented by thin spiral lirae, much weaker than co-marginal ribs; shell having a calcitic layer as suggested by thin sections.
Remarks.
Lindstroem
(1884
, p. 69) mentioned several specimens from various localities on Gotland, but figured only specimens from Rikvide. In the NRM collection only specimens from Rikvide and Burgsvik are registered, but specimens from the latter locality were not available for study. The specimen from Slite in the PMU collections, mentioned by
Lindstroem
(1884)
, is illustrated here in Fig.
5B
. It comes from the much older Slite Group sediments and is here treated as
Orthonychia
sp. The species was also listed from the Slite Beds by
Manten (1971
, table 11). However, it differs markedly from
O. enorme
in the initial shell having higher rate of coiling, possibly more coiled whorls before extending into the tubular shell, the shell is proportionally broader at the aperture, the W/H ratio is higher (0.65), it lacks clear growth increments and lamellae, and have a distinct radial ornamentation crossing the fine co-marginal growth lines thus creating a fine reticulate pattern. Furthermore, the shell reverses curvature during growth.
Lindstroem
(1884
, p. 69, pl. 2, fig. 71) described and illustrated a fine radial ornamentation. Some faint striations may be discerned in NRM 38218 (Fig.
4B2
) but similar ornamentation is not seen in other macro-specimens. Fine and widely spaced lirae are present in early ontogeny (Gotland Ortho 1, C2). The two-element illustration in
Lindstroem
(1884)
cannot readily be linked to any of the available specimens.
Peel and Yochelson (1976
, p. 17) listed
Platyceras (Orthonychia)
cf.
P. (Orthonychia) enorme
Lindstroem
, 1884 from the Telychian of Norway.
The present material from the bulk samples closely resembles the type material of
Platyceras enorme
Lindstroem
, 1884 as described and illustrated above. The type specimens are much larger (more than 16 mm long) than the specimens from the washed residue reported here. However, strongly encrusted specimens studied by
Schugmann (2015)
and herein (Fig.
6
) are also in this larger size range suggesting that the specimens from the residues are juveniles.
Platyceras cornutum
from the upper Silurian of Gotland as illustrated by
Lindstroem
(1884)
is similar but lacks ornamentation of axial ribs/frills and spiral lirae; instead it has co-marginal irregular bulges. Moreover, the teleoconch of
Platyceras cornutum
is generally more curved.
Figure 4.
(A, B)
Orthonychia enorme
Lindstroem
(1884)
.
(A)
Paralectotype NRM 38221.
(A1-A4)
Right lateral, left lateral, anterior, and posterior views; iIllustrated by
Lindstroem
(1884
, pl. 2, figs 64-66).
(B)
Paralectotype NRM 38218.
(B1)
Left lateral view.
(B2)
Detail of ornamentation near the aperture. The museum label indicates that this is the specimen illustrated by
Lindstroem
(1884
, pl. 2, fig. 59), but the specimen does not match the illustration particularly well. Scale bar: 0.5 cm (
A, B1
).
Figure 5.
(A, B)
Orthonychia enorme
Lindstroem
(1884)
.
(A)
Paralectotype NRM 38223.
(A1, A2)
Right lateral and anterior oblique views; illustrated by
Lindstroem
(1884
, pl. 2, figs 69, 70).
(B)
Paralectotype NRM 38222. Left lateral view; illustrated by
Lindstroem
(1884)
, pl. 2, fig. 68.
(C)
Orthonychia
sp., PMU 21576.
(C1)
Detail of apex.
(C2-C4)
Right lateral, left lateral and posterior views. Specimen collected by Cleve and mentioned by
Lindstroem
(1884
, p. 69). Scale bar: 0.5 cm (
A, B, C2-C4
).
The Devonian
Crossoceras
Boucot & Yochelson, 1966 (
Platyceratidae
) is ornamented with co-marginal sharp ribs (frills) and a fine spiral lineation similar to the ornament of
Platyceras enorme
. However,
Crossoceras
has a stronger curvature of the teleoconch and is thus close to
Platyceras
in this respect. A close phylogenetic relationship of
Crossoceras
and
Orthonychia enorme
seems to be likely. The protoconch of
Crossoceras
is unknown; judging from the illustration given by
Boucot and Yochelson (1966
, pl. 3, fig. 11) it could be tightly coiled as in
Orthonychia enorme
but the preservation is insufficient to be sure.
Figure 6.
Orthonychia enorme
(
Lindstroem
, 1884) in thin sections, Silurian Eke Formation, Gotland; the type of preservation of the shells suggests that they were primarily calcitic with foliated micro-structures; some of the shells have very long frills; these frills are much longer than those on specimens from the type series (Figs
3
-
5
) and washed samples (Figs
7
-
8
) suggesting they broke off during weathering and the processing of the samples. Thin sections reposited
Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet
Erlangen-Nuernberg
, GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Erlangen, Germany.
(A)
Shell in longitudinal section, specimen with pronounced frills.
(B, C)
Shell in longitudinal section, specimen with pronounced frills in apical portion (C).
(D)
Shell in longitudinal section, specimen shows coiling in its apical portion.
(E)
Upper portion of image, shell in transverse section of one whorl (large oval) and tangential to earlier whorl (round).
(F)
Middle left portion of image, shell in transverse section of one whorl (left large oval) and earlier whorl (right circular).
(G)
Shell in longitudinal section, specimen shows pronounced frills covered by a thick microbial crust.
(H)
Shell in transverse section, covered by a thick microbial crust.
(I)
Shell in longitudinal section, covered by a thick microbial crust.
Pragoserpulina tomasi
Fryda
, 1998a, type species of
Pragoserpulina
Fryda
, 1998a, family
Pragoserpulinidae
Fryda
, 1998a, from the Early Devonian of the Czech Republic (Dvorce-Prokop Limestone, Praha Formation, Pragian, Czech Republic) closely resembles
O. enorme
in teleoconch morphology and in having the same type of tightly coiled protoconch. However, the uncoiled teleoconch of
P. tomasi
is more bent, its ribbing is denser, the co-marginal ribs are stronger; the ribs are rounded and not as sharp (no frills).
Bouchet et al. (2005
,
2017
) classified
Pragoserpulinidae
as a Paleozoic taxon that certainly belongs to gastropods, unassigned to superfamily - it is possible that
Pragoserpulina
is platycerate.
The tightly coiled protoconchs shown here for
Orthonychia enorme
and that illustrated by
Fryda
(1998a)
for
Pragoserpulina tomasi
are clearly not of the vetigastropod type (see e. g.,
Bandel 1982
;
Haszprunar et al. 1995
;
Nuetzel
2014
). They probably were produced by larvae with a short-termed planktotrophic phase. Similar protoconchs were reported for the Paleozoic neritimorph
Naticopsis
(
Nuetzel
and Mapes 2001
;
Nuetzel
et al. 2007b
) and
Platyceras
(
Fryda
et al. 2009
). The same type of protoconch was found in Devonian and early Carboniferous gastropods with a cap-shaped teleoconch placed in the family
Pragoscutulidae
Fryda
, 1998a (
Cook et al. 2008
). They were classified as
Caenogastropoda
but a neritimorph relation seems also possible.
Pragoscutulidae
are much stouter i.e., they have a much wider apical angle.
Figure 7.
Orthonychia enorme
(
Lindstroem
1884
), Silurian Eke Formation, Gotland.
(A)
SNSB-BSPG 2023 X 1.
(A1)
Lateral view.
(A2)
Initial whorls in oblique apical view.
(B)
SNSB-BSPG 2023 X 2, juvenile specimen in lateral view.
(C)
SNSB-BSPG 2023 X 3.
(C1)
Lateral view.
(C2)
Early teleoconch with distinct axial ribs/frill and faint spiral lirae.
(D)
SNSB-BSPG 2023 X 4.
(D1)
Juvenile specimen in lateral view.
(D2)
Initial whorls in oblique apical view including tightly coiled protoconch without visible ornament.
(D3, D4)
Dorsal views including last smooth whorl of protoconch.
(E)
SNSB-BSPG 2023 X 10, juvenile specimen with strong frills in lateral view.
(F)
SNSB-BSPG 2023 X 6, juvenile specimen with strong frills in lateral view.
(G)
SNSB-BSPG 2023 X 11.
(G1)
Lateral view.
(G2)
Initial whorls including tightly coiled protoconch without visible ornament in oblique apical view.
(G3)
Lateral view.
(G4)
Initial whorls including tightly coiled protoconch without visible ornament in apical view.
(H)
SNSB-BSPG 2023 X 12, juvenile specimen in lateral view.
Figure 8.
Orthonychia enorme
(
Lindstroem
, 1884), Silurian Eke Formation, Gotland.
(A)
SNSB-BSPG 2023 X 13, specimen with distinct co-marginal ribs and longitudinal lirae.
(A1)
Lateral view.
(A2)
Initial whorls in oblique apical view.
(A3)
Dorsal lateral view.
(A4)
Dorsal view.
(B)
SNSB-BSPG 2023 X 15, lateral view.