Thericium podhorcense ( Hilber, 1882 )

Thericium podhorcense ( Hilber, 1882)

Figs 48A–E View FIGURE 48

* Cerithium Podhorcense Hilber View in CoL nova forma — Hilber 1882: 6, pl. 1, fig. 9.

Cerithium Podhorcense Hilb.— Friedberg 1914: 261 View in CoL , pl. 16, fig. 8, text fig. 57.

Cerithium Podhorcense Hilb.—Friedberg 1928: 596 View in CoL .

Cerithium podhorcense Hilb.— Friedberg 1938a: 94 .

Cerithium podhorcense Hilber, 1882 — Zelinskaya et al. 1968: 154, pl. 38, fig. 10.

non Cerithium (Ptychocerithium) podhorcense Hilber — Csepreghy-Meznerics 1954: 23, pl. 2, figs 6–9.

non Cerithium (Ptychocerithium) crenatum aff. podhorcense Hilber— Švagrovský 1960: 76 , 138, pl. 7, fig. 9.

Type material. Holotype, illustrated in Hilber (1882: pl. 1, fig. 9), SL: 25 mm, MD: 10 mm, Pidhirtsi ( Ukraine), late Badenian (Middle Miocene). The specimen was stored in the Geological Survey of Austria but seems to be lost. Friedberg (1914: 261) notes that the holotype was given to him for description. Thus, the specimen might never have been returned or it was destroyed during World War II.

Illustrated material. PIN 5904/106, SL: 29.2 mm, MD: 11 mm, Figs 48A View FIGURE 48 1 –A View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . PIN 5904/107, SL: 29.7 mm, MD: 10.4 mm, Fig. 48B View FIGURE 48 . PIN 5904/108, SL: 31 mm, MD: 11 mm, Fig. 48C View FIGURE 48 . PIN 5904/109, SL: 29.6 mm, MD: 10 mm, Fig. 48D View FIGURE 48 . PIN 5904/110, SL: 33 mm, MD: 9.7 mm, Fig. 50E View FIGURE 50 . All from Dibrova ( Ukraine), late Badenian (Middle Miocene).

Revised description. Large sized, moderately slender to slender shells of about 12 teleoconch whorls, attaining 30–35 mm in height; apical angle ~36°. Protoconch unknown. Early teleoconch whorls with two prominent primary cords overriding ~9–11 prominent, slightly opisthocline axial ribs, separated by subequal interspaces; penultimate whorl with 14–16 axial ribs. Whorl profile weakly convex on early whorls: later whorls with narrow, concave subsutural ramp, weak angulation below and subcylindrical to weakly convex periphery. Suture distinctly incised on early whorls, superficial on late teleoconch. Later teleoconch whorls with prominent, tuberculate subsutural cord and two more prominent, tuberculate cords along periphery. Tubercles slightly pointed, often more prominent on mid-cord. One or two weak spiral cords on subsutural ramp, one smooth cord between lower tuberculate spiral cords and narrow cord at abapical suture. Axial ribs on early whorls weaken rapidly, expressed mainly by tubercles on spiral cords on late teleoconch whorls. Last whorl slightly convex, attaining 41–47% of total height. Axial sculpture on last whorl subobsolete. Base moderately constricted, convex with two prominent, faintly tubercular peribasal cords with one or two weaker spiral cords or threads intercalated. Two to four additional spiral cords on base and fasciole. Aperture elongate-ovate. Columella broadly excavated. Columellar callus forming thick, broad rim, sharply delimited from base. Outer lip slightly thickened, weakly flaring. Siphonal canal moderately short and wide, slightly deflected to the left, weakly notched.

Discussion. Several authors discussed a relationship to the Thericium crenatum group (e.g., Švagrovský 1960; Strausz 1966), but Thericium podhorcense ( Hilber, 1882) lacks spiral rows of beads typical for this group, which lacks axials on late teleoconch whorls. Moreover, Thericium podhorcense has a shoulder with pointed tubercles, which the crenatum group does not. Members of the T. crenatum group are generally more slender and have a more delicate sculpture.

Specimens described by Csepreghy-Meznerics (1954, 1972), Strausz (1955, 1966) and Švagrovský (1960) from Hungary and Slovakia have a rather coarse sculpture and might be closer to Thericium posidoniaphilum sp. nov. and related species. Thericium podhorcense is another species endemic to the Fore-Carpathian Basin like Chondrocerithium gibbosum ( Eichwald, 1830) and Ptychocerithium distinctissimum ( Eichwald, 1851) .

Paleoenvironment. Shallow marine, inner neritic based on the associated fauna (own data M.H.)

Distribution. A rare species documented from the late Badenian of the Ukrainian Fore-Carpathian Basin and the Voronyaky Hills. Occurrences in the Pannonian and Danube basins are based on misidentifications.

Central Paratethys. Voronyaky Hills: Golubytsya, Pidhirtsi (Lviv Region, Ukraine) ( Friedberg 1914); Ukrainian Fore-Carpathian Basin: Dibrova, Ripyntsi, Tarnoruda (Khmel’nytskyi Region), Oles’ko (Lviv Region), Fashchivka (Ternopil Region, Ukraine) ( Friedberg 1914, 1938a, hoc opus).