B. M. Landau & L. T. Groves 
Cypraeidae from the early Miocene of northem Venezuela 
In the Neogene several species hâve been 
described with shells closely similar to those of P. 
robertsi. Olsson ( 1964) described P. telembiensis from 
the Pacific portion of the Neogene Gatunian Province, 
from a single specimen from the late Miocene 
Angostura Formation of Ecuador. Groves (1997) re- 
illustrated the holotype. This Ecuadorian species is 
extremely similar in shape to P. primarobertsi, 
differing only in the less crowded nature of the teeth 
(shell formula for P. telembiensis ; 19.7 (67-52) 16: 
15). Groves (1997) described Zonaria cathyae from 
the early Pliocène Esmeraldas beds of the Onzole 
Formation of Ecuador. Now considered a 
Pseudozonaria, it is extremely similar to the ‘oval- 
depressed morphotype’ of P. primarobertsi, and 
indeed, apart from slightly fewer teeth in P. cathyae, 
their shell formulae are very similar (shell formula for 
P. telembiensis-, 22.3 (71-57) 19: 17). The main 
différence between the two taxa is in the apertural 
characteristics of the anterior portion. In ail members 
of the P. robertsi- group, including P. primarobertsi, 
P. porteili Petuch, 1990, P, raymondrobertsi (Pilsbry, 
1922) (holotype; Figs 169-172), P. telembiensis and P. 
fehsei Landau & Silva, 2010 (holotype; Figs 165-168) 
the terminal ridge is strong and keel-like followed by 
a deep groove separating the most anterior columellar 
tooth, which is usually more strongly developed. 
Pseudozonaria cathyae does not belong to this group, 
having the anterior third of the aperture dilated by a 
small hemispherical expansion, and there is no deep 
groove separating a weaker terminal ridge from the 
relatively fine columellar teeth. 
Pseudozonaria raymondrobertsi, from the early 
Pliocène Gurabo Formation of the Dominican 
Republic and early Pliocène Bowden Formation of 
Jamaica, can be easily separated by the consistently 
well developed and angular marginal callus giving the 
shell a very broad, depressed shape. Pseudozonaria 
raymondrobertsi differs from the rest of the P. 
robertsi -group in usually having the terminal ridge 
less strongly developed, the groove between the 
terminal ridge and first columellar tooth shallower 
(although it is quite prominent in the holotype Figs 
104-107) and in having fewer, finer, longer teeth 
(shell formula for P. raymondrobertsi', 28.2 (70.5- 
51.1) 16: 14: ten specimens from Arroyo Zamba, 
Dominican Republic, BL coll.). 
Pseudozonaria fehsei from the early Pliocène 
Cubagua Formation of Cubagua Island, Venezuela 
also has a similar shell shape, but differs in the nature 
of the aperture, which is a little wider in the anterior 
portion in P. fehsei and the teeth are a little longer and, 
especially on the labial side, are a little more widely 
spaced (shell formula for P. fehsei-, 24.7 (66-50.6) 18: 
16). Pseudozonaria porteili from the Pleistocene 
Bermont Formation of Florida has very coarse 
denticles (shell formula for P. porteili', 25 (63.9-51.5) 
19: 15), similar in number to P. fehsei and P. 
telembiensis, but differs in that the columellar 
denticles do not extend over the columellar peristome 
(see Petuch, 1990, fig. 9). 
Etymology. Reflecting the earliest species in the P. 
robertsi species-group known. 
Geological and geographical distribution. 
Lower Miocene: Cantaure Formation, Venezuela. 
Figures 144-172 (type specimens of some tropical American Neogene Cypraeidae). 
144-145. Muracypraea henekeni (G. B. Sowerby I, 1850) Lectotype BMNH G83940, length, 58 mm, Miocene, 
^ que R ' v n e 1 r ’ St Domingo ' Colld - CoL T S - 1 lencken. (‘J.S. Heniker’), c. 1848; 146. Luriapatrespatriae 
(Maury, 1917) Holotype PR1 28780 (ex Gabb collection), length 27.9 mm. Bluff 1, Cercado de Mao, Santo 
omingo (specimen figured by Maury, 1917, pl. 19, fig. 10; adapical portion of outer lip seems to hâve been 
damaged since the original figure was taken). Image courtesy of the Paleontological Research Institution; 147- 
150 Pustularm (Pustulana) americana Schilder, 1939 Holotype NMB H 11259, length 11.2 mm, width 7.8 mm, 
height 6.^ mm, Lower Miocene?: Cauto Fluss, road from Alto Cedro to Palma Soriano Cuba- 151-154 
Propustularia caribaea (Schilder. 1939) Holotype NMB H11260, length 13.6 mm, width 9.0 mm heVht 6 8 
mm early Middle Miocene Grand Bay Formation, Carriacou; 155-156. Propustularia bartschi (Ingram. 1939) 
Holotype USNM 559684, length 25.8 mm, width, 17 mm, height 12.8 mm, Lower Pleistocene, Moin Formation, 
Limon, Costa Rica; 157-158. Zonariapittorum Groves, 1997 Holotype LACMIP 12432, length 40.1 mm, width 
-.0.9 mm height 12.8 mm, Lower Pliocène, TU locality 1399, roadcut on west side of village of Camarones, 20 
km east ot bridge over Rio Esmeraldas, Esmeraldas Beds, Onzole Formation, Ecuador; 159-160. Pseudozonaria 
frassinetti Groves & Nielsen, 2003) Hypotype LACMIP 13720, length 23.1 mm, width, 14.8 mm, height 11 2 
mm early Upper Miocene, Torton.an, Navidad Formation, tidal platform approximately I km north of Matanzas, 
auenal Caro Province, central Chile; 161-164. Zonariaspurcoides (Gabb, 1873) Lectotype ANSP 2999, length 
<51 ~ mm ’ Miocene, Santo Domingo; 165-168. Pseudozonaria fehsei Landau & 
Tinn ~i i r 2010/0038/0013 (NHMW coll., ex B L coll.), Lower Pliocène, Araya Formation, 
Canon de las Calderas, Cubagua Island. Length 26.6 mm, width 16.9 mm; 169-172. Pseudozonaria 
Dom/ngt' Sl ( y ' l922) HOl ° tyPe ANSP 3 " 5 ' kngth 275 mm ’ 19 mm ’ heighl - 15 "™, Miocene, Santo 
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