Development of Cuvierinidae (Mollusca, Euthecosomata, Cavolinioidea) during the Cainozoic: a non-cladistic approach with a re-interpretation of Recent taxa

This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dennis Curry Numerous observations of more-or-less precisely dated occurrences of Cainozoic Cuvierinidae allow lineages to be reconstructed. The early genera Spoelia Janssen, 1990 and Johnjagtia gen. nov. (Late Oligocene/Early Miocene), the roots of which are still unknown, are included in the Cuvierinidae. The Late Oligocene Ireneia tenuistriata (Semper, 1861) is the precursor of various Miocene species of Ireneia Janssen, 1995. The genus became extinct in the Late Miocene. The genus Cuvierina Boas, 1886 developed from the Ireneia lineage during the Early Miocene. In Middle Miocene times Cuvierina s. lat. splits up into two branches, interpreted here as subgenera, viz C. (Cuvierina) and C. (Urceolaria) subgen. nov., each with a number of species occurring from the later Miocene onward. The Recent ’ C. columnella columnella (Rang, 1827)’ and ‘C. columnella urceolaris (Mörch, 1850)’, as interpreted until now, are considered to represent the final stages of these lineages. Recent Cuvierina material from all oceans was revised, which has led to a re-interpretation of extant taxa and to the introduction of two new Recent species. New taxa here introduced are Cuvierina (C.) pacifica spec. nov., C. (Urceolaria) cancapae spec. nov., C. (U.) curryi spec. nov., Ireneia gracilis spec. nov., Johnjagtia gen. nov., and Urceolaria subgen. nov. A neotype is designated for C. (C.) columnella. Two species described from the Eocene of the United States do not fit the development model of the Cuvierinidae advocated here. For them two genera, Praecuvierina gen. nov. and Texacuvierina gen. nov. are introduced. Together they form the Praecuvierinidae fam. nov., which is considered to represent an earlier offshoot from the Creseidae.