Gisortia

Gisortia is an extinct genus of cowries in the family Cypraeidae.

It had several members growing to large sizes (gigantism) and developing ornamentation, typically as tubercles, flanges, or processes. The genus was likely sister to Vicetia, which also developed very large species with ornamentation.

Species

The number of species in the genus is currently unresolved, although two species, Gisortia coombii and Gisortia tuberculosa, are accepted.

These two species are restricted to the Ypresian and Lutetian ages of the Eocene in Western Europe. They have been hypothesized to be low-metabolism, grazing snails likely focusing on nutrition-poor sponges or algae as food. Their ornamentation may have been a defensive adaptation against predators.

According to WoRMS, the following species are accepted:

• † Gisortia brevis <small>Douvillé, 1920</small>
• † Gisortia clarki <small>Ingram, 1940</small>
• † Gisortia coombii <small>(J. De C. Sowerby, 1850)</small>
• † Gisortia tuberculosa <small>(Duclos, 1825)</small>

• † Gisortia chevallieri <small>Cossmann, 1886</small> (taxon inquirendum)
• † Gisortia gigantea <small>(Münster, 1841)</small> (nomen dubium)

Synonyms

• † Gisortia americana <small>Schilder, 1930</small> synonym of † Gisortia tuberculosa <small>(Duclos, 1825)</small>(probable synonym)
• † Gisortia breviplicata <small>F. A. Schilder, 1926</small> synonym of † Umbilia siphonata <small>(Chapman, 1922)</small> (junior subjective synonym)
• † Gisortia gennevauxi <small>Doncieux, 1908</small> synonym of † Vicetia gennevauxi <small>(Doncieux, 1908)</small>(superseded combination)
• † Gisortia megaloptera <small>Lorenz, 2017</small> synonym of † Gisortia coombii <small>(J. De C. Sowerby, 1850 </small>)
• † Gisortia taiwanensis <small>Schilder, 1930</small> synonym of † Gisortia tuberculosa <small>(Duclos, 1825)</small>
• † Gisortia thomasi <small>Olsson, 1930</small> synonym of † Gisortia tuberculosa <small>(Duclos, 1825)</small>
• † Gisortia vicetiana <small>Farrés & Staid-Staadt, 2009</small> synonym of † Vicetia bellardii <small>(Bellardi, 1852)</small>
• † Gisortia vicetiformis<small> Farrés & Staid-Staadt, 2009 </small>† synonym of † Gisortia vicetiana <small>Farrés & Staid-Staadt, 2009</small>:synonym of † Vicetia bellardii <small>(Bellardi, 1852)</small> (alternative original spelling)

References

External links