Inquisitor trinervis
Extinct species of gastropod
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Inquisitor trinervis is an extinct species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc, in the family Pseudomelatomidae.[1] Fossils of the species date to early Pliocene strata of the Gippsland Basin of Victoria, Australia.
| Inquisitor trinervis Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| |
| Holotype from Auckland War Memorial Museum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Pseudomelatomidae |
| Genus: | Inquisitor |
| Species: | †I. trinervis |
| Binomial name | |
| †Inquisitor trinervis (A. W. B. Powell, 1944) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Description
In the original description, Powell described the species as follows:
Shell robust, strongly axially and spirally sculptured. Axials broadly rounded, vertical, 14-15 per whorl, extending from peripheral angle to half way across base. Spiral cords moderately strong, 3 on spire-whorls, from periphery to lower suture, and 13 on body-whorl and base. Subsutural fold distinct over early spire-whorls, but later becoming obsolete. Shoulder deeply concave. Periphery just above middle.[2]
The holotype of the species measures 19.5 mm (0.77 in) in length and has a diameter of 7 mm (0.28 in).[2]
Taxonomy
The species was first described by A. W. B. Powell in 1944 as Pseudoinquisitor trinervis.[2] Powell recombined the species as Inquisitor trinervis in 1966,[3] a move that malacologist Thomas A. Darragh agreed with in 1970.[4] The holotype was collected from the Gippsland Lakes, Victoria, Australia at an unknown date prior to 1937 as a part of the Finlay Collection, and is held by the Auckland War Memorial Museum.[5][6]
Distribution
This extinct marine species occurs in early Pliocene strata of the Gippsland Basin of Victoria, Australia, including the Jemmys Point Formation.[5][7]
