Vallonia eiapopeia

• China (Inner Mongolia )

Vallonia Eiapopeia was a terrestrial snail from the family of grass worm ( Valloniidae ). The species was first described in 1996 based on fossil found in China housings from the Turolium (upper Neogene ). To select the unusual name of the first describer Jochen Gerber has never been a more detailed explanation.

Features

The thin-walled housing are small and approximately disk -shaped, only slightly, the apex rises above the whorl. The diameter is 2 to 2.2 mm, the amount varies from 0.95 to 1.1 mm. The protoconch comprises 1 ⅛ to 1 ¼ of total 3 ⅛ to 3 ¼ whorls. These are separated from each other by deep to very deep seams. The whorls of Teleoconch have narrow ribs - up thread and wedge-shaped moderately densely arranged in cross-section, at different housings that can emerge different degrees of sharpness. In each space the ribs, there are around three distinct and smooth growth lines.

The whorls to the mouth moderately quickly and evenly, in cross section, they embrace each other very little, only the last whorl is rounded evenly along the in- use center periphery. The moderately wide, round and concentric umbilical takes not quite a ⅓ of the maximum shell diameter and holds up to last evenly. The profile in the last whorl runs at first mostly horizontal, occasionally weak in straight line down towards the end or shortly before the mouth he bent down sharply away.

The heavily against the housing axis tilted mouth is almost circular in plan view. The connected by a clearly marked, indented callus insertions are heavily approximated. Inside, on the mouth of a ring, remote, moderately thickened lip; between it and the aperture rim usually runs a shallow furrow. The aperture rim is up only slightly expanded outward and extended down significantly and very quickly especially.

Stratigraphy, geographical distribution and habitat

Vallonia Eiapopeia was found in the zone MN 13 of Turolium; the Fund comes from Ertemte, Huade District, Inner Mongolia (China). The Turolium is now correlated with the upper part of the chronostratigraphic stage of the Messinian (upper Miocene ) and the basal Zancleum (lower Pliocene ). So far, only five specimens have been found, all typicum originate from the type locality and stratum.

There, she found herself associated with the related Vallonia patens tralala. Using numerous vertebrate fossils also found a picture of the habitat could be drawn. Then it was the surroundings of a freshwater lake with a diverse, hygrophilic vegetation. This consisted of some tall trees, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation lush layer on the lakeshore. This moist riverside landscape in turn was surrounded by a dry steppe landscape. Similar habitats are still other, closely related species Vallonia ( Vallonia patens, Vallonia kamtschatica, Vallonia pulchellula, Vallonia tokunagai ) populated east and northeast of the discovery site in more humid regions.

Systematics and Nomenclature

The species was first described in 1996 by Jochen Gerber as part of its revision of the genus Vallonia. The first description was based on collections made, made ​​by Volker Fahlbusch and Gerhard Storch 1980 at the type locality. It is regarded as related to the Upper Miocene also, West Palaearctic Vallonia subcyclophorella.

The reference of the species name to the species is unclear, but is derived from the German " Eiapopeia " as " meaningless sound word, which is used especially in the bedroom and lullabies ". In the same text Gerber described another species with such an unusual name, but reveal themselves only speakers of German.

Evidence

• Snails
• Pulmonata
• Extinct mollusc