B. M. Landau & L. T. Groves 
Cypraeidae from the early Miocene of northem Venezuela 
Discussion. Pseudozonaria primarobertsi n. sp. is the 
most common cypraeid in the Cantaure Formation. 
Two morphotypes occur; a ‘cylindrical-pyritoim 
morphotype’ and an ‘oval-dcpressed morphotype . 
Apart from the différence in shell shape the ‘oval- 
depressed morphotype' tends to hâve one or two more 
columellar teeth than the ‘cylindrical-pyriform 
morphotype’ and the teeth in general tend to be 
somewhat less coarse and elevated in the ‘oval- 
depressed morphotype’, however, the character of the 
strong terminal ridge, very weakly developed fossula 
and ridged columellar peristome is the same in both 
morphotypes. Moreover, a fair number of specimens 
could not be clearly ascribed to one or other 
morphotypes. The différences seen in the two 
morphotypes could indicate sexual dimorphism. 
15 
20 
25 
height 
30 
1,70 
Pseudozonaria sp. 
O 
o cylindrical-pyriform 
O O O ° 
morphotype 
| 1,50 
O % é> ° 
O 
■ oval-depressed 
> 
<>■■■ 1 ■ 
morphotype 
■§) 1,40 
■> O." " 
<D 
■ 
1,30 
1,20 
■ 
35 
Text-fîgure 12. Height against height/width; Pseudozonaria primarobertsi n. sp. 
Pseudozonaria primarobertsi n. sp. is clearly closely 
similar in size, shape and character of the teeth to the 
Recent tropical American P. robertsi (Hidalgo, 1906). 
As seen in our fossil taxon, the development of the 
marginal callus in P. robertsi is also somewhat 
variable The main différence between the two taxa is 
that the Recent species has fewer columellar teeth (CT 
= 12 vs 18-20 in P. primarobertsi). 
Figures 128-143 
128-129 . Pseudozonaria falconensis n. sp. Paratype 1 NMB H18369 (NMB coll.), length 14.4 mm. lower shell 
bed, 1 km Southwest of Casa Cantaure, about 10 km west of Pueblo Nuevo, Paraguand Peninsula, Falcôn State, 
Venezuela; 130-131. Pseudozonaria falconensis n. sp. Paratype 2 NHMW 2010/0036/0020 (NMMW; ex. BL 
coll.), length 16.7 mm. lower shell bed, 1 km Southwest of Casa Cantaure, about 10 km west of Pueblo Nuevo, 
Paraguand Peninsula, Falcôn State, Venezuela; 132-135. Zonariapseudotumulus n. sp. Holotype NMB H18360 
(NMB coll.), length 27.2 mm. lower shell bed, 1 km Southwest of Casa Cantaure, about 10 km west of Pueblo 
Nuevo, Paraguand Peninsula, Falcôn State, Venezuela; 
136-137. Zonaria pseudotumulus n. sp. Paratype 1 NHMW 2010/0036/0022 (NMMW; ex. BL coll.), length 26.4 
mm. lower shell bed, 1 km Southwest of Casa Cantaure, about 10 km west of Pueblo Nuevo, Paraguand 
Peninsula, Falcôn State, Venezuela. 138-139. Zonaria pseudotumulus n. sp. Paratype 2 NHMW 2010/0036/0023 
(NMMW; ex. BL coll.), length 22.2 mm. lower shell bed, 1 km Southwest of Casa Cantaure, about 10 km west 
of Pueblo Nuevo, Paraguand Peninsula, Falcôn State, Venezuela; 
140-143. Zonaria spurcoides (Gabb, 1873) NHMW 2010/0036/0031 (NMMW; ex. BL coll.), length 28.3 mm. 
Baitoa Formation, early Miocene, Arroyo Hondo, Yaque del Norte River, Dominican Republic. 
30 
