B. M. Landau & L. T. Groves 
Cypraeidae from the early Miocene of northem Venezuela 
Pseudozonaria falconemis n. sp. 
Text-figure 13; Figs 124-131 
Dimensions and type material. Holotype; NMB 
H18368, height 16.5 mm (Figs 124-127); paratype 1 
NMB H18369, height 14.4 mm (Figs 128-129); 
paratype 2 NHMW 2010/0036/0020, height, 16.7 mm 
(Figs 130-131); paratype 3 NHMW 2010/0036/0021, 
height, 14.9 mm. 
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). 
Description. Shell very small, solid, cylindrical- 
pyriform, posteriorly swollen, in latéral profile dorsal 
curvature regularly attenuated abapically, spire 
involute to very weakly projecting, covered by 
adapical callus; sides rounded, moderately callused, 
callus ascending to 'A-'A shell height; ventrum weakly 
convex in profile; aperture of medium width, almost 
straight, posteriorly weakly curving to the left. 
Text-figure 13. Pseudozonaria falconensis n. sp. 
Holotype NMB H18368 (NMB coll,), length 16.5 
mm. lower shell bed, 1 km Southwest of Casa 
Cantaure, about 10 km west of Pueblo Nuevo, 
Paraguanâ Peninsula, Falcôn State, Venezuela. 
Discussion. This is the smallest Pseudozonaria 
species in the Cantaure Formation, and easily 
34 
anterior portion very slightly wider; siphonal canal 
natTow, abaxially asymmetrical; exhalant channel 
moderately produced, widening slightly adapically; 
columella denticulate along entire length, bearing 15- 
21 short, coarse denticles, which extend as folds a 
short distance onto the columella peristonre, but not 
across the angulation onto the ventrum, anterior 
columellar teeth slightly more prominent; inner A of 
columella peristome smooth; terminal fold strongly 
developed and elevated, bordering the siphonal canal, 
where it is strengthened and keel-like with a 
prominent, elevated internai lamina (sensu Dolin & 
Lozouet, 2004), separated from the columellar teeth 
by a groove; fossula relatively well developed, 
concave, but poorly delimited from the rest of the 
columella, very steep, bearing five ridges of variable 
strength extending from the anterior columellar teeth 
to the inner edge of the fossula, where they form 
relatively long, extremely large, rounded inner teeth; 
19-24 coarse labral teeth, anterior third of labral teeth 
stretched out on slightly constricted, depressed, 
hemicircular area; outer lip bevelled inwards, with 
teeth extending across the bevelled inner portion and a 
variable distance onto the labrum, at most just short of 
mid-labrum. No colour pattern preserved. 
Shell Formula. 14.3 (64.5 - 52.2) 26; 20 
recognised by its rather produced posterior extremity 
and relatively well developed fossula, which is smooth 
in the middle, but with enormous teeth developed at 
the inner edge of the fossula. We hâve not found any 
congener with this feature similarly strongly 
developed. 
Etymology. Named for Falcôn State, Venezuela. 
Geological and geographical distribution. 
Lower Miocene: Cantaure Formation, Venezuela. 
BIOGEOGRAPHJC IMPLICATIONS 
The southem Caribbean early Miocene had a rich and 
varied cypraeid assemblage, with thirteen species here 
recorded Irom the early Miocene, Burdigalian 
assemblage of Cantaure, ten of which are described as 
new. The presence of an equally rich cypraeid 
assemblage in the early Miocene of the Chipola 
Formation, northem Florida, was described by Dolin 
(1991). As mentioned in the introduction, cypraeids 
are a difficult group to work with, and both the 
spécifie and supraspecific classification varies 
specimen 
collection number 
length 
width 
height 
LT 
CT 
holotype (Figs 124-127) 
NMB H18368 
16,5 
10,5 
8,6 
21 
19 
paratype 1 (Figs 128-129) 
NMB H18369 
14,4 
8,9 
7,3 
21 
15 
paratype 2 (Figs 130-131) 
NHMW 2010/0036/0020 
16,7 
10,7 
8,5 
24 
21 
paratype 3 
NHMW 2010/0036/0021 
14,9 
9,7 
7,9 
21 
18 
BL coll. 3 
11,2 
7,6 
6,2 
19 
13 
Table 13. Dimensions and number of teeth; Pseudozonaria falconemis n. sp. 
