The genus Lepicythara (Gastropoda: Turridae) from the Neogene and Pleistocene of Tropical America - BAP #366
The shallow to moderately deep water turrid genus Lepicythara is restricted to the Neogene and Pleistocene of tropical America including Florida. So far the genus consists of 22 species, twelve of which are specifically identified, five are identified by means of open nomenclature, and five are characterized by letters. Four species are described as new: L. higensis from the Pleistocene of Pacific Costa Rica, L. lopenzana from the late Early to Middle Miocene Baitoa Formation of the northern Dominican Republic, L. paradisclusa from the Early Pliocene Springvale Formation of the Central Range of Trinidad, and L. toroensis from the Early Pliocine Shark Hole Point Formation of the Valiente Peninsula, Province of Bocas del Toro, Panama.
The geographic distribution of the species is irregular. Of the 13 areas of occurrence six are situated in Panama and Costa Rica. The amount of material assigned to individual species is also most irregular: only one species (L. polygona) is well represented, two species (L. costaricensis and L. terminula) are less well represented, but all other species have to be called rare or extremely rare. The species diversity through time is fluctuating. After a period of low diversity during the late Early and Middle Miocene the diversity reached a maximum during Late Miocene times. In the Early Pliocene it was still fairly high, but during the Middle and Late Pliocene times there was a steady decrease in diversity, the genus Lepicythara seemingly became extinct toward the end of the Pleistocene.
P. Jung
Pages: 76, 74 text-figs., 17 tables
Issue: BAP 366
Year published: 2004