Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Pages: 29-40

Journal: ZooKeys

Volume number: 918

ISSN: 1313-2989

Open access status: Gold

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.918.50135

Publisher: Pensoft Publishers

Abstract: 
Ferussina Grateloup, 1827 is a European Paleogene land snail genus, which is currently classified in its own Family, the Ferussinidae Wenz, 1923 (1915), in the superfamily Cyclophoroidea. The shell of this genus is remarkable by its last quarter whorl turning towards the apex instead of away from it, which is an unusual trait in terrestrial snails. We show, however, that this trait has evolved at least nine times in terrestrial Eupulmonata and Caenogastropoda, and it does not justify distinction at the family level in any of the reported cases. This observation suggests the systematic position of Ferussina should not be based on the apex ward-turning last quarter whorl alone but instead on the general morphology of the shell. As a result, we re-evaluate the systematic position of the Ferussinidae and treat it as a subfamily of the Cyclophoridae.

Harvard Citation style: Pall-Gergely, B. and Neubauer, T. (2020) The value of a single character: the Paleogene European land snail Ferussina Grateloup, 1827 is likely a cyclophorid (Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda), ZooKeys, 918, pp. 29-40. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.918.50135

APA Citation style: Pall-Gergely, B., & Neubauer, T. (2020). The value of a single character: the Paleogene European land snail Ferussina Grateloup, 1827 is likely a cyclophorid (Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda). ZooKeys. 918, 29-40. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.918.50135