Two New Minute Species of Gastropods from the Middle Claibornian (Eocene ) of Texas; The First a Fossarid Genus New to the Americas and the Second An Archeogastropod with Affinities Close to Several Extinct Paleozoic Taxa

Christopher L. Garvie
Texas Natural History Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin

Collections made from a hitherto uncollected bed in the Wheelock Member of the Crockett Formation have resulted in a fauna of extremely well-preserved micro-gastropods. Their relative rarity and because these two species are amongst the smallest gastropods known may have caused them to be overlooked usuing standard collecting techniques. Specimens of both species are multiwhorled and unlikely to be juveniles. The first species is here assigned to genus Microschara in the family Fossaridae; this genus so far is known from the Eocene to Miocene of Europe, North Africa and New Zealand. The second species has a combination characters not known in any modern gastropod with its loose coiling, shallow sinus and an almost bilaterally symmetrical shell, but whose characters are similar to several extinct Paleozoic Archeogastropod taxa.

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90085 © 2008 GCAGS 58th Annual Meeting, Houston, Texas