Protocypraea, SP., SCHILDER, 1927

Groves, Lindsey & Squires, Richard L., 2023, Revision of northeast Pacific Paleogene cypraeoidean gastropods, including recognition of three new species: implications for paleobiogeographic distribution and faunal turnover, PaleoBios 40 (10), pp. 1-52 : 17

PROTOCYPRAEA ? SP. 1

FIGS. 5P , 6A–C

Eocypraea sp. Williams et al., 2018: unnumbered fig.

Hypotype— CDM 997.91.3 (figs. 5P, 6A–C), length 48.1 mm, width, 31.4 mm, height 25.3 mm, height. Informal locality AP3 (J.W. Haggart, personal communication, 2022).

Occurrence— Questionably late Paleocene (Thanetian Stage), central east coast of Vancouver Island , British Columbia, Canada . Oyster Bay Formation (“Appian Way beds”), approximately 45.5°N, intertidal area on east coast of Central Island District, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada .

Description— Shell moderately large, smooth, turnipshape, base narrow, aperture narrow, dentition relatively small size. Shell tapers rapidly anteriorly; anterior part of shell somewhat projected. Shell with maximum width posterior to center of shell, but very inflated posterior area incomplete showing only small depressed area (only base of spire present) with sunken sulcus area. Aperture is moderately wide and fairly straight, with some bending in posterior area. Outer lip shows numerous relatively small-sized teeth anteriorly. Inner lip similar, except for the teeth being smaller and not extensive.

Remarks— Only a single specimen (possibly a juvenile) is known. It is nearly complete, except for most of the broken-off posteriormost part of the shell, thus precluding the assignment of this unnamed specimen.

This specimen, which is the northernmost occurrence of a Paleogene cypraeoidean in the NEP region, is like no other NEP Paleogene cypraeoidean, nor like any NEP Late Cretaceous specimen. A manuscript currently in preparation by J.W. Haggart et al. will further document this so-called “Appian Way fauna” [presumably of late Paleocene age and contemporaneous with the “Oyster Bay Formation”], Central Island District, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. McLachlan and Pospelova (2021) presented dinoflagellate data for an early Paleocene age of the “Oyster Bay Formation,” but that age is in contradiction to late Paleocene to middle Eocene ages variously based on plants, sporomorphs, marine mollusks, decapods, and shark teeth (see McLachlan and Pospelova 2021 for a review of this literature).

Figures

Figure 5 (previous page) A–C. Bernaya grovesi Squires and Demetrion, 1992, Bateque Formation (Eocene, “Ca- pay Stage”), Mesa La Salina, Baja California Sur, México. Basal (A), dorsal (B), and right (labral) (C) views, all 2.6x, length 17 mm, width 12 mm, height 7.7 mm, of holotype IGM 5172, LACMIP Locality 401220a (ex CSUN Locality 1220b). D–F. Bernaya kaylinae n. sp., Llajas Formation, (Eocene, “Domengine Stage”), Las Llajas Canyon, north side Simi Valley, Ventura County, southern California. Basal (D), dorsal (E), and right (labral) side (F) views, 3.8x, length 25.6 mm, width 17.3 mm, height 12.9 mm, of holotype, LACMIP 40374.80, LACMIP Type 14938 (LACMIP Locality 40374). G–I. Bernaya squiresi Groves, 2011, unnamed Eocene strata (“Capay Stage”), southwest end of Discovery Bay, Jefferson County, Washington. Basal (G), dorsal (H), and right (labral) side (I) views, 0.97x, length 52.7 mm, width 40 mm, height 26.3 mm, of holotype LACMIP 22341.1, LACMIP Type 13644, LACMIP Locality 22341. J–L. Bernaya sp., unnamed Paleocene strata (Thanetian Stage), near Lower Lake, Lake County, northern California. Basal (J), dorsal (K), and right (labral) side (L) views, 1.7x, length 33.8 mm, width 23 mm, height 18.3 mm, hypotype LACMIP 7047.72, LACMIP Type 14923 (LACMIP Locality 7047). M–O. Protocypraea? simiensis (Nelson, 1925), Santa Susana Formation (Thanetian Stage), Simi Hills, Ventura County, Paleocene, southern Cali- fornia. Basal (M), dorsal (N), and right (labral) side (O) views, 1.6x, length 32.3 mm, width 24.6 mm, height 17.3 mm, of holotype UCMP 30498, UCMP Locality 3818. P.Protocypraea? sp. 1, Oyster Bay Formation, Paleocene, Appian Way, Central Island District, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Basal view, 1.8x, length 48.1 mm, width 31.4 mm, height 25.3 mm, of CDM 997.91.3, informal locality AP3.

Figure 6 (previous page) A–C. Protocypraea? sp. 1, Oyster Bay Formation, Paleocene, Appian Way, Central Is- land District, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Dorsal (A) and (B) left (columellar) views, 1.8x, length 45.5 mm, width 29 mm, height 22 mm, of CDM 997.91.3, informal locality AP3. (C) Oblique view posterior in- complete end of shell showing sunken area encircling base of spire, width of field of vision 28.7 mm. D–G. Protocypraea? sp. 2, Lodo Formation (Paleocene, Thanetian Stage), Tumey Hills, Fresno County, central California, LACMIP Locality 26456 [ex UCLA Locality 6456]. Basal (D) view, 1.6x, length 42.2 mm, width 28.6 mm, height 18.5 mm, of hypotype LACMIP 26456.6, LACMIP Type 14925, Basal (E), dorsal (F), right (labral) (G) views, 1.44x, length 50 mm, width 28 mm, height 27 mm, of hypotype UCMP 14208, UCMP Locality A9717. H–J. Gisortia clarki Ingram, 1940, Llajas Formation (Eocene, “Capay Stage”), north side Simi Valley, Ventura County, southern Cali- fornia. Basal (H), dorsal (I), and right (labral) side (J) views, 0.5x, length 121.4 mm, width 96.4 mm, height 65.9 mm, of holotype UCMP 14844, UCMP Locality 4052. K–M. Gisortia sp., Juncal Formation (Eocene, “Capay Stage”), Whitaker Peak, Ventura County, southern California. Basal (J), dorsal (K), and right (labral) side (M) views, 0.5x, length 122 mm, width 75 mm, height 51 mm, of hypotype LACMIP 16243.1, LACMIP Type 7466, LACMIP Locality 40848 [ex CSUN Locality 848].