Ovilia tauroaspira ( Sacco, 1894 )

Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard, 2012, A revision of the Neogene Cancellariid Gastropods of the Paratethys Sea 3472, Zootaxa 3472, pp. 1-71 : 33

Ovilia tauroaspira ( Sacco, 1894)

Figs 7D 1–D 3

Cancellaria (Ovilia) Bernardii var. tauroaspira Sacco 1894: 21 , pl. 1, fig, 60.

Type material. holotype by monotypy, Museo Regionale di Scienci Naturali , Torino ( Italy); Baldissero ( Italy), Burdigalian (Early Miocene) [no inventory number is given in Ferrero Mortara et al. (1984)] .

Studied and illustrated material. Figs 7D 1–D 3: Mörtersdorf ( Austria), height: 25 mm, width: 30 mm, private collection Anton and Thomas Breitenberger (Bad Vöslau and Pottenstein, Austria).

Description. This species has an extremely depressed spire resulting in a Rapa- like outline with a deep suture. The nearly flat spire bears five flattened spiral cords with narrow interspaces. The strongly convex flank passes quickly into the rapidly contracting base with ten additional broad spiral cords. No secondary cords are developed in the narrow interspaces. The umbilicus is very wide, bordered laterally by a prominent and raised fasciole and medially by an erect, sheet-like columellar callus. The aperture is wide, semi-circular; the outer lip thin, non-callused, with a slight posterior angulation and narrow but deeply incised siphonal canal. The columellar folds are obscured by sediment.

Discussion. As discussed above, this species belongs to the Ovilia doliolaris -group and its status is not yet resolved. Unfortunately, O. tauroaspira was not refigured or recorded by Ferrero Mortara et al. (1984) in their work re-illustrating Sacco’s types, but the Austrian shell bears most resemblance to it. More material might reveal that this taxon is only an extreme morph of O. doliolaris ( Basterot, 1825) . In respect to the unique, Rapa -like habitus and the absence of any secondary sculpture, a separation from O. doliolaris ( Basterot, 1825) and O. bernardii ( Mayer, 1861) seems to be justified.

Distribution. This species is known from the Burdigalian of the Colli Torinesi and the Eggenburgian (middle Burdigalian) of the Paratethys.

Proto –Mediterranean Sea —Burdigalian (Colli Torinesi, Italy). Paratethys —Eggenburgian (Early Burdigalian): Bohemian Massif ( Austria: Mörtersdorf).