B. M. Landau & L. T. Groves 
NOVAPEX 12(1-2): 1-38, 10 mars 2011 
of Santo Domingo C. henikeni [sic], except that the 
teeth are more compressed and longer. In a specimen 
42.5 mm. long there are 15 teeth on the inner, 19 on 
the outer lip.” The length of the denticles seems 
variable, but on average M. isthmicù has fewer 
denticles on both the inner and outer lips than M. 
henekeni or M. hyaena. Woodring (1959: pl. 32. figs. 
1, 4, 6, 9) illustrated specimens that are considered 
true M. woodringi. The two Gatun Formation taxa 
cannot be separated by their dentition or fossula. 
Landau and Silva (2010) discussed the presence of the 
genus in the Venezuelan Pliocène assemblages and 
stressed the need for a full révision of the genus. This 
much needed révision is again outside the scope of 
this worlc, however, at least half a dozen different 
Muracypraea species may occur in the tropical 
American Neogene. 
Etymology. Named for Wendell P. Woodring in 
récognition of his monumental work on the geology 
and palaeontology of the Panama Canal Zone région. 
Geologieal and geographical distribution. 
Upper Miocene: Angostura Formation, Ecuador; 
Gatun Fonnation, Panama. 
Miocene (indeterminate): Narino Dept., Colombia. 
Subfamily LUR1FNAE Schilder, 1932 
Genus Luria Jousseaume, 1884 
Type species: Cypraea lurida Linnaeus, 1758, by 
original désignation. 
Discussion. Dolin (1991) synonymised the 
genera/subgenera Tessellata Jousseaume, 1884 (type 
species Cypraea tessellata Swainson, 1822), 
Basilitrona Iredale, 1930 (type species Cypraea 
isabella Linnaeus, 1758) and Fossacypraea Schilder, 
1939 (type species Cypraea hieroglyphica Schilder, 
1923) with Talparia Troschel, 1863. Lorenz & Hubert 
(2000) considered “ Basilitrona” and “ Tessellata" as 
species groups within the genus Luria Jousseaume, 
1884. Dolin & Lozouet (2004) transferred the tropical 
American species included in Talparia by Dolin 
(1991) to Luria (Tessellata). Meyer’s (2004) 
molecular data supports the systematic arrangement of 
Lorenz & Flubert (2000), on the basis of which Lôpez 
Soriano (2006) fonnally synonymised Tessellata with 
Luria. Shells in the genus Luria differ from those in 
Talparia in having blunt extremities, short and deep 
anterior and posterior canals, the anterior canal is 
straight as opposed to slightly off-set in Talparia, and 
the angulation is more prominent with the labral teeth 
developed at the angulation running into the aperture 
but not onto the ventrum. In Talparia the angulation is 
developed and raised in the anterior portion but not in 
the mid and posterior portion with the teeth extending 
a short distance onto the ventrum. The character of the 
fossula; spoon-like, smooth or weakly ribbed, with 
denticles on the inner margin, is similar in both 
généra. 
Luria cantaurana n. sp. 
Text-figure 1; Figs. 37-44 
Dimensions and type material. Holotype; NHMW 
2010/0036/0002, lenght 56.0 mm (Figs 37-40); 
paratype 1 NHMW 2010/0036/0003, length, 42.0 mm 
(Figs 41-44); paratype 2 NHMW 2010/0036/0004, 
length, 38.5 mm. 
Type locality. lower sheli bed, 1 km Southwest of 
Casa Cantaure, about 10 km west of Pueblo Nuevo, 
Falcôn State, Venezuela (=locaiity GS12PGNA of 
Gibson-Smith & Gibson-Smith, 1979). 
Type stratum. Cantaure Formation (early Miocene: 
Burdigalian). 
Description. Shell medium-sized for genus, solid, 
subcylindrical, posteriorly swollen, in latéral profile 
dorsal curvature regularly attenuated abapically, spire 
involute, covered by adapical callus; sides rounded, 
callused, the callus extending to between Ft, and % 
height; ventrum flattened, especially in the anterior 
portion, slightly convex in profile in the posterior 
portion; aperture parasigmoidal, anterior third wider, 
dilated by hemispherical expansion on the labrum; 
siphonal canal deep, abaxially asymmetrical and 
abapically orthogonally truncated; exhalant channel 
deep, limited by parallel lips; 28-33 very short 
columellar teeth rnost clearly developed at the 
angulation, running a short distance into the aperture, 
but not onto the ventrum; angulation Sharp and ridge- 
lilce in the anterior and mid-portions; terminal ridge 
weakly developed, merged into abapical edge; fossula 
well-delimited, spoon-like, concave, broad, smooth, 
fringed with weak denticles at its inner edge; 
columella peristome smooth; 24-29 labral teeth, 
anterior third of labral teeth stretched out on 
constricted, depressed, hemicircular area; remai nder 
sharp, outer lip bevelled inwards, with teeth extending 
across the bevelled inner portion and a very short 
distance externally onto the labrum; no colour pattern 
preserved, under UV light some axially elongated 
blotches seen in two specimens, but no clear pattern. 
Shell Formula. 45.5 (58.0 - 45.7) 20: 24 
specimen 
collection number 
length 
Width 
Height 
LT 
CT 
holotype (Figs 37-40) 
NHMW 2010/0036/0002 
56.0 
33.3 
25.6 
29 
33 
paratype 1 (Figs 41-44) 
NHMW 2010/0036/0003 
42.0 
23.8 
18.9 
24 
29 
paratype 2 
NHMW 2010/0036/0004 
38.5 
22.1 
17.9 
24 
28 
Table 3. Dimensions and number of teeth; Luria cantaurana n. sp. 
7 
