Silurian Gastropoda from southeastern and west-central Alaska

• Published in: Journal of Paleontology
• Main Authors: Rohr, David M., Blodgett, Robert B., Frýda, Jiří
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2008
• Subjects: Paleontology; Prince of Wales Island; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/07-006.1; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022336000054767

Additional Silurian (Ludlovian) gastropods are described from the Heceta Formation in the Alexander terrane on Prince of Wales Island, southeastern Alaska. Species include Spinicharybdis krizi n. sp., Spinicharybdis boucoti n. sp., Morania wagneri n. sp., Haplospira craigi n. sp., Australonema sp., Pachystrophia cf. gotlandica (Lindström, 1884), and Medfrazyga gilmulli n. sp. An additional new Silurian species, Morania nixonforkensis n. sp., is described from the Nixon Fork subterrane of the Farewell terrane of west-central Alaska. The spine-bearing Spinicharybdis is placed into a new subfamily Spinicharybdiinae together with Hystricoceras Jahn, 1894. Joint occurrences of genera Beraunia, Coelocaulus , and Morania , as well as members of subfamily Spinicharybdiinae in the gastropod fauna from the Heceta Formation, support its close relationship with gastropod fauna of Bohemia. Additionally, the occurrence of the genus Medfrazyga suggests a faunal link between the Alexander and Farewell terranes of Alaska. Medfrazyga gilmulli n. sp. is the oldest known and the only early Paleozoic member of the family Palaeozygopleuridae.