Gisortia


Gisortia is an extinct genus of cowries in the family Cypraeidae.
It had several members growing to large sizes 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 Douvillé, 1920
  • † Gisortia clarki Ingram, 1940
  • † Gisortia coombii
  • † Gisortia tuberculosa
  • † Gisortia chevallieri Cossmann, 1886
  • † ''Gisortia gigantea''

    Synonyms

  • † Gisortia americana Schilder, 1930 synonym of † Gisortia tuberculosa
  • † Gisortia breviplicata F. A. Schilder, 1926 synonym of † Umbilia siphonata
  • † Gisortia gennevauxi Doncieux, 1908 synonym of † Vicetia gennevauxi
  • † Gisortia megaloptera Lorenz, 2017 synonym of † Gisortia coombii
  • † Gisortia taiwanensis Schilder, 1930 synonym of † Gisortia tuberculosa
  • † Gisortia thomasi Olsson, 1930 synonym of † Gisortia tuberculosa
  • † Gisortia vicetiana Farrés & Staid-Staadt, 2009 synonym of † Vicetia bellardii
  • † Gisortia vicetiformis Farrés & Staid-Staadt, 2009 † synonym of † Gisortia vicetiana Farrés & Staid-Staadt, 2009:synonym of † ''Vicetia bellardii''