B. M. Landau & L. T. Groves 
Cypraeidae from the early Miocene of northem Venezuela 
Specimen 
collection number 
length 
width 
height 
LT 
CT 
Holotype (Figs 100-103) 
NHMW 2010/0036/0019 
32.3 
21.3 
16.6 
20 
19 
Table 11. Dimensions and number of teeth; Pseudozonaria praeaequinoctialis n. sp. 
Text-fîgure 10 . Pseudozonaria praeaequinoctialis n. 
sp. Holotype NHMW 2010/0036/0019 (NHMW coll.; 
ex. BL coll.), length 32.3 mm. lower shell bed, 1 km 
Southwest of Casa Cantaure, about 10 km west of 
Pueblo Nuevo, Paraguanâ Peninsula, Falcôn State, 
Venezuela. 
the widest aperture of any of the group and the least 
number of teeth, especially on the columellar side 
where they are obsolète on the posterior portion of the 
columella (shell formula for Z. jfrassinetti; 28.1 (62.2- 
44.5) 13: 4). 
Etymology. Combination of before = ‘prae’ and 
equinoctial = ‘aequinoctialis’[Latin], 
Geological and geographical distribution. 
Lower Miocene: Cantaure Formation, Venezuela. 
Pseudozonariaprimarobertsi n. sp. 
Text-llgure 11; Figs 104-123 
Dimensions and type material. Holotype; NMB 
H18364, length 22.7 mm (Figs 104-107); paratype 1 
NMB H18365, length, 21.3 mm (Figs 108-111); 
paratype 2 NMB H18367, length, 24.7 mm; paratype 
3 NMB H18359, length, 28.9 mm (Figs 112-115); 
paratype 4 NMB H18361, length, 24.4 mm; paratype 
5 NMB H18363, length, 25.3 mm (Figs 120-123); 
paratype 6 NMB H18366, length, 24.8 mm (Figs 116- 
119). 
Discussion. Pseudozonaria praeaequinoctialis n. sp. 
is clearly the predecessor of the Pseudozonaria 
annettae- group now living in the tropical American 
Pacific. This group is characterised by their very short 
teeth and wide apertures. In the Recent faunas two 
species/subspecies are recognised, which we prefer to 
recognise at full species level, a northern form, P. 
annettae (Dali, 1909) found along the Pacific coast of 
Mexico, and a Southern form P. aequinoctialis 
(Schilder, 1933) from Panama to Ecuador. The 
northem form is easily separated from P. 
praeaequinoctialis having a much more elongated- 
pyri form shell shape. The Southern form differs from 
the northem form in having a heavier, broader shell 
with slightly coarser teeth, and therefore is doser to 
the tossil species. Pseudozonaria praeaequinoctialis 
ditters from P. aequinoctialis in having an even 
broader shell (width/height 59.1 vs 65.9 in P. 
praeaequinoctialis ) and in having considerably fewer 
columellar denticles (CT = 14 vs. 18 in P 
praeaequinoctialis). 
Zonaria frassinetti Groves & Nielsen, 2003 fi-, 
the early late Miocene, Tortonian of Chile is h 
reassigned to the Pseudozonaria annettae-grc 
characterised by its very wide aperture and wid 
spaced and sharp denticles. In Pseudozona 
. rassinetti these features are exaggerated, so that it 1 
Other material. 20 specimens BL coll. 
Type locality. lower shell bed, 1 km Southwest of 
Casa Cantaure, about 10 km west of Pueblo Nuevo, 
Falcôn State, Venezuela (=locality GS12PGNA of 
Gibson-Smith & Gibson-Smith, 1979). 
Type stratum. Cantaure Formation (early Miocene: 
Burdigalian). 
Desci iption. Shell small, solid, oval-depressed to 
cylindrical-pyriform, posteriorly swollen, in latéral 
Profile dorsal curvature regularly attenuated 
abapically, spire involute, covered by adapical callus; 
sides rounded, strongly to moderately callused, callus 
ascending to 'A-'A shell height; ventrum flattened, very 
weakly convex at the extremities; aperture of medium 
width, parasigmoida), posteriorly strongly curving to 
the left, anterior portion very slightly wider; siphonal 
canal narrow, abaxially asymmetrical; exhalant 
channel weakly produced, deep, limited by parallel 
lips, columella denticulate along entire length, bearing 
16-22 coarse, elevated denticles, which extend as folds 
onto the columella peristome and a very short distance 
over the angulation onto the ventrum, anterior two 
columellar teeth larger and often fused or partially so; 
terminal fold strongly developed and elevated, 
28 
