Turritella

Common Tower Snail ( Turritella carinata )

Turritella is a genus of marine snails in the family of the tower snails ( Turritellidae ).

Features

The genus includes species with a tightly wound, pointed - hochkonischen case with many turns. The individual coils are convex rounded and provided with spiral stripes. The distance is relatively small and the housing can be closed with a operculum.

System

The genus Turritella was established by Lamarck in 1799. The type species is turbo terebra Linnaeus, 1758. The genus name was subsequently extended time high tower-shaped to almost all screw mt housings. Today the genus is re- interpreted in a highly limited definition. The genus includes not only the Nominatuntergattung the subgenus Torcula. Turritella fossils found in central Europe since the Cretaceous. Precursor forms already existed in the Devonian. The genus had been caused in the Cenozoic produced many kinds.

Types (selection)

• Common Tower Snail ( Turritella communis)
• Turritella terebra
• Turritella turris

Fossil deposits

The fossil after a mass occurrence of Turritella shells turris named Erminger Turritellenplatte in Ulm is a significant discovery locality from the Burdigalian ( UnteresNeogen ). The sediments were deposited under shallow marine coastal conditions in the northern Alpine Molasse Basin in front of about 18.5 Ma.