Lepidochitona lira ( Cherns & Schwabe, 2019 )

Lepidochitona lira ( Cherns & Schwabe, 2019)

Fig. 114 View FIGURE 114

Tonicella lira Cherns & Schwabe, 2019, p. 9 View in CoL , figs 6(O)–(W); Dell’Angelo et al. 2020b, p. 31, 35, 36, tab. 4; Sirenko & Dell’Angelo 2023, p. 278.

Lepidochitona lira ; Sirenko & Dell’Angelo 2023, p. 280.

Type material. Holotype: ZSM Mol 20071428 C, intermediate valve, Figs 114C–D View FIGURE 114 ; paratype: ZSM Mol 20071428 B, head valve, Figs 114A–B View FIGURE 114 .

Type locality. Abbesse ( France) .

Type stage. Upper Oligocene (Chattian) .

Material examined. No material, only descriptions and illustrations from the literature. Maximum width of the valves: 2.6 / 5.6 / -- mm.

Description. Tail valve unknown. Head valve semi-circular, moderately elevated, subcarinate, posterior margin nearly straight. Intermediate valves broadly rectangular (W/L = 2.45), moderately elevated (H/W = 0.38), semicarinate in anterior profile, anterior margin tapering outwards from slightly to moderately convex jugal area,

side margins fairly straight, posterior margin nearly straight, apex not evident, lateral area slightly elevated, not greatly distinct from central area, with shallow longitudinal ridges and furrows, depressed above diagonal slit ray.

Tegmentum smooth displaying very fine microgranulation, smooth rounded broad CA showing a slight narrow jugal elevation and straight side slopes, indistinct very low ridges or growth lines parallel to anterior margin rounding at fairly square corners into ridges and furrows of LA, aesthetes of same size.

Articulamentum with triangular, rounded, long and wide apophyses, narrow jugal sinus, insertion plate rounded, short, slit formula 8 / 1 / --, slit rays visible, thin, spongy eaves.

Remarks. Lepidochitona lira ( Cherns & Schwabe, 2019) is known only for the original finding of 12 valves (2 head and 10 intermediate, ZSM Mol 20071428) from the upper Oligocene (Chattian) of Abbesse ( France).

This species was initially attributed to the genus Tonicella Carpenter, 1873 by Cherns & Schwabe (2019), and later included by Sirenko & Dell’Angelo (2023) in the genus Lepidochitona Gray, 1821 .

Comparisons. See Tab. 18, 19 for comparison with the other Lepidochitona spp . considered in the present study.

Distribution. Upper Oligocene: NE Atlantic (Chattian): Aquitaine Basin, France: Abbesse ( Cherns & Schwabe 2019).