TURRITELLIDAE Lovén, 1847

Sarr, Raphaël, Hill, Robert V., Jenkins, Xavier A., Tapanila, Leif & O'Leary, Maureen A., 2024, A Composite Section of Fossiliferous Late Cretaceous- Early Paleogene Localities in Senegal and Preliminary Description of a New Late Maastrichtian Vertebrate Fossil Assemblage, American Museum Novitates 2024 (4013), pp. 1-32 : 20

TURRITELLIDAE Lovén, 1847

TURRITELLINAE Lovén, 1847

cf. Mesalia Gray, 1847

Figure 11A

REFERRED MATERIAL: SEN 060.

DESCRIPTION: A single concretion with a partial cast (formed in situ) of a turritellid. Six whorls are visible, becoming increasingly inflated as they are added, as in Mesalia (see O’Leary et al., 2019). Each whorl is perforated by four rows of tiny, evenly spaced pits. The specimen has been subject to some diagenetic flattening and evidence of the aperture is obscured by matrix.

DISCUSSION: Extant turritellids are mollusks inhabiting warm water, nearshore marine environments. Fossil turritellids are documented from other ancient, shallow seaways in West Africa (e.g., Mali; O’Leary et al., 2019).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Maastrichtian invertebrates (internal molds formed in situ) of the Cap de Naze Formation discovered at the North Quarry of Poponguine. A, Turritellidae cf. Mesalia (SEN 060) natural cast in?abapertural view; and B, Naticidae indet. (SEN 071), natural cast in apical view. Scale = 1 cm.