Gastropods from the Cretaceous-Palaeogene boundary in Denmark
Author
Hansen, Thomas
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-08-12
4654
1
1
196
journal article
26049
10.11646/zootaxa.4654.1.1
9ce1d103-9234-4fbe-9544-f1c294bb8783
1175-5326
3365803
CFD82CC0-3110-472E-972B-7ADC0C523A04
Eumetula
sp.
Fig. 28R
Material.
A single mould,
MGUH
33218.
Occurrence.
The taxon is known exclusively from the lithified top of the upper Maastrichtian Højerup Member of the Tor Formation at Rødvig, Stevns Klint.
Description.
Protoconch
0.4 mm
high and
0.35 mm
wide, conical multispiral with approximately 3 ½ convex whorls. First 1 ½ (embryonic) whorls seemingly smooth, subsequent whorls covered by up to around 35 closely spaced and very fine opisthocyrt collabral threads per whorl. A keel or coarse spiral rib appears on first post-embryonic whorl, while a second is added on last protoconch whorl.
Teleoconch slender turriculate, with evenly increasing whorl width; whorls weakly convex, constricted at narrow adapical suture bordered by spiral ribs; whorl height corresponding to half or slightly more than half the width. Transition to smooth flat base sharp, marked by subperipheral carination. Base flattened, smooth. Aperture unknown.
Teleoconch sculpture dominated by coarse and weakly opisthocline transverse ribs, strongest centrally on whorl, interrupted adapically and at carination abapically, giving an impression of a more convex whorl; rib number increasing gradually with growth from around 14 on first teleoconch whorl. A more or less distinctly developed spiral rib and succeeding furrow occur adjacent to adapical suture. Interspaces between transverse ribs characterized by an additional five secondary and very weak spiral ribs.
Measurements.
Specimen
MGUH
33218 is
3.6 mm
high and
0.9 mm
wide, consisting of 3 ½ protoconch and eight teleoconch whorls.
Remarks.
Eumetula
sp. may be the oldest taxon assigned this genus so far, moving the generic range back to the Maastrichtian (see
Gründel 1980
).
Eumetula
sp. somewhat resembles the Belgian
Cerithium regularicostatum
Briart & Cornet, 1873
from the Danian, which was reassigned to
Harrisianella
Olsson, 1929
by
Glibert (1973)
. Both taxa clearly do not belong to this genus as revised by
Kowalke (2001
: p. 260–261) and differ by much more convex whorls; the lack of an adapical subsutural spiral furrow and, at least with regard to the Danish taxon, by the densely sculptured protoconch whorls. The Danish taxon differs from
Eumetula regularicostatum
by the rather weakly convex teleoconch whorls and a more pronounced spiral rib demarcating the base. It is clearly distinguished from the Selandian
Harrisianella subglabra
Schnetler, 2001
from
Denmark
by the fewer and strongly sculptured protoconch whorls and by the more compact teleoconch whorls with their abapical spiral rib. The Selandian species does not belong within
Harrisianella
for the same reasons as for the species above and due to the high, multispiral protoconch.