Taniella
Taniella is a genus of extinct sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Naticidae. Species in the genus begin to appear in fossil record in the Early Paleocene, and are primarily found in New Zealand, with some fossils known to occur in Australia.
Description
The genus is significantly smaller than a morphologically similar genus, Tanea, and can be distinguished due to its lower spire, and straight spire outlines that have a tangential suture that is weakly impressed.
Taxonomy
Taniella was first described in 1937 by Harold Finlay and John Marwick. While no extant members of the genus have been discovered, the Tasmanian species Natica elkingtoni has been identified as being a potential living member of Taniella.
Distribution
The majority of known species have been found in New Zealand, dating to between the Early Paleocene and the Pleistocene. Two Australian species are known, T. subnoae of the Port Phillip Basin, which dates to the late Oligocene, and T. weymouthensis of the St Vincent Basin, which dates to the middle Miocene.
Species
Species within the genus Taniella include: