Search

Phorcus gallicophorcus Landau, Van Dingenen & Ceulemans, 2017 † Late Miocene (Tortonian): NE Atlantic (France: Loire Basin). (Landau et al. 2017)

Subgenus Phorcus Risso, 1826 Type species. Phorcus margaritaceus Risso, 1826 [= Phorcus richardi (Payraudeau, 1826)], SD (Bucquoy et al. 1885: 399). Present-day, Mediterranean Sea. Diagnosis. Subtriangular, turbiniform shells with moderately convex teleoconch whorls and convex base. Umbilicus initially open, narrowing during ontogeny; usually minute or fully sealed, but open in few species. Shell surface either smooth or with low, broad spiral cords (see also Affenzeller et al. 2017). Remarks. The oldest occurrences are documented from the Late Miocene of the NE Atlantic (Landau et al. 2017; Martín-González et al. 2018). Mediterranean records all post-date the Messinian Salinity Crisis, suggesting an immigration with Atlantic faunas during the early Pliocene. The generic placement of extant species follows Donald et al. (2012). = Neptheusa Leach in Gray, 1852; type species: Trochus crassus Pulteney, 1799, by monotypy. Present-day, British Isles. = Umbiculus Nordsieck, 1982; type species Trochus richardi var. pallida Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 [= Phorcus richardi (Payraudeau, 1826)], OD (Nordsieck 1982: 26). Present-day, Mediterranean Sea. Introduced as “Sektion” (= section) of Gibbula (Gibbula), which makes it an available name according to ICZN Article 10.4. (A uninominal name proposed for a genus-group division of a genus, even if proposed for a secondary (or further) subdivision, is deemed to be a subgeneric name even if the division is denoted by a term such as “section” or “division). = Mutilastra Nordsieck, 1974; type species Trochus mutabilis Philippi, 1851, OD (Nordsieck 1974: 21). Present-day: NE Atlantic (Portugal); Mediterranean Sea., Published as part of Harzhauser, Mathias, 2021, The Cainozoic to present-day record of Circum-Mediterranean, NE Atlantic and North Sea Cantharidinae and Trochinae (Trochoidea, Gastropoda) - a synopsis, pp. 1-81 in Zootaxa 4902 (1) on page 50, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4902.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4419088, {"references":["Affenzeller, S., Haar, N. & Steiner, G. (2017) Revision of the genus complex Gibbula: an integrative approach to delineating the Eastern Mediterranean genera Gibbula Risso, 1826, Steromphala Gray, 1847, and Phorcus Risso, 1826 using DNA-barcoding and geometric morphometrics (Vetigastropoda, Trochoidea). Organisms Diversity & Evolution, 17 (4), 789 - 812. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 13127 - 017 - 0343 - 5","Landau, B. M., van Dingenen, F. & Ceulemans, L. (2017) The upper Miocene gastropods of northwestern France, 1. Patellogastropoda and Vetigastropoda. Cainozoic Research, 17 (2), 75 - 166.","Martin-Gonzalez, E., Vera-Pelaez, J. L., Castillo, C. & Lozano-Francisco, M. C. (2018) New fossil gastropod species (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the upper Miocene of the Canary Islands (Spain). Zootaxa, 4422 (2), 191 - 218. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4422.2.3","Donald, K. M., Preston, J., Williams, S. T., Reid, D. R., Winter, D., Alvarez, R., Buge, B., Hawkins, S. J., Templado, J. & Spencer, H. G. (2012) Phylogenetic relationships elucidate colonization patterns in the intertidal grazers Osilinus Philippi, 1847 and Phorcus Risso, 1826 (Gastropoda: Trochidae) in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 62 (1), 35 - 45. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / j. ympev. 2011.09.002","Bucquoy, E., Dautzenberg, P. & Dollfus, G. (1884, 1885) Les mollusques marins du Roussillon. Tome Ier. Gastropodes. Bailliere & fils, Paris, pp. 197 - 342 (1884), pp. 343 - 418 (1885). [http: // www. biodiversitylibrary. org / item / 103592]"]}

Phorcus atratus (Wood, 1828) Present-day: E Atlantic (Canary Islands, Madeira). Canaries and Madeira only, other records are misidentifications. The Cape Verde populations are distinguished as P. mariae (Templado & Rolán 2012). (MolluscaBase 2020l), Published as part of Harzhauser, Mathias, 2021, The Cainozoic to present-day record of Circum-Mediterranean, NE Atlantic and North Sea Cantharidinae and Trochinae (Trochoidea, Gastropoda) - a synopsis, pp. 1-81 in Zootaxa 4902 (1) on page 50, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4902.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4419088

Phorcus lineatus (da Costa, 1778) = Trochus crassus Pulteney, 1799 Pleistocene: NE Atlantic (France). Present-day: NE Atlantic (British Isles, Portugal, Spain, Mauritania). (Glibert 1962), Published as part of Harzhauser, Mathias, 2021, The Cainozoic to present-day record of Circum-Mediterranean, NE Atlantic and North Sea Cantharidinae and Trochinae (Trochoidea, Gastropoda) - a synopsis, pp. 1-81 in Zootaxa 4902 (1) on pages 50-51, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4902.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4419088, {"references":["Da Costa, E. M. (1778) Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniae, or, the British conchology; containing the descriptions and other particulars of natural history of the shells of Great Britain and Ireland: illustrated with figures. In English and French. - Historia naturalis testaceorum Britanniae, ou, la conchologie Britannique; contenant les descriptions & autres particularites d'histoire naturelle des coquilles de la Grande Bretagne & de l'Irlande: avec figures en taille douce. En anglois & Francois. Millan, White, Emsley & Robson, London, 254 pp. [https: // www. biodiversitylibrary. org / page / 13116783]","Glibert, M. (1962) Les Archaeogastropoda fossiles du Cenozoique etranger des collections de l'Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique. Memoires de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, 68, 3 - 131. [http: // biblio. naturalsciences. be / rbins-publications / memoirs-of-the-royal-institute-of-natural-sciences-of-belgium-second-series / 68 - 1962]"]}

Phorcus (Osilinus) sauciatus (Koch in Philippi, 1845) Present-day: NE Atlantic (Bay of Biscay, Portugal, Canary Islands, Morocco, Madeira). (Rubal et al. 2014), Published as part of Harzhauser, Mathias, 2021, The Cainozoic to present-day record of Circum-Mediterranean, NE Atlantic and North Sea Cantharidinae and Trochinae (Trochoidea, Gastropoda) - a synopsis, pp. 1-81 in Zootaxa 4902 (1) on page 52, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4902.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4419088

Phorcus burgadoi Martín-González in Martín-González, Vera-Peláez, Castillo & Lozano-Francisco, 2018 † Late Miocene (Tortonian): NE Atlantic (Canary Islands). (Martín-González et al. 2018), Published as part of Harzhauser, Mathias, 2021, The Cainozoic to present-day record of Circum-Mediterranean, NE Atlantic and North Sea Cantharidinae and Trochinae (Trochoidea, Gastropoda) - a synopsis, pp. 1-81 in Zootaxa 4902 (1) on page 50, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4902.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4419088, {"references":["Martin-Gonzalez, E., Vera-Pelaez, J. L., Castillo, C. & Lozano-Francisco, M. C. (2018) New fossil gastropod species (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the upper Miocene of the Canary Islands (Spain). Zootaxa, 4422 (2), 191 - 218. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4422.2.3"]}

Phorcus mariae Templado & Rolán, 2012 Present-day: NE Atlantic (Cape Verdes). (Templado & Rolán 2012)

* Phorcus (Osilinus) turbinatus (Born, 1778) Pliocene (Zanclean): Mediterranean Sea (Spain: Estepona Basin; Italy). Pliocene (Piacenzian): Mediterranean Sea (Italy). Pleistocene (Gelasian to late Pleistocene): Mediterranean Sea (France; Balearic Islands; Italy; Cyprus). Present-day: Mediterranean Sea. (Landau et al. 2003), Published as part of Harzhauser, Mathias, 2021, The Cainozoic to present-day record of Circum-Mediterranean, NE Atlantic and North Sea Cantharidinae and Trochinae (Trochoidea, Gastropoda) - a synopsis, pp. 1-81 in Zootaxa 4902 (1) on page 52, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4902.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4419088, {"references":["Born, I. (1778) Index rerum naturalium Musei Caesarei Vindobonensis. Pars I. ma. Testacea. Verzeichniss der nat ʾ rlichen Seltenheiten des k. k. Naturalien Cabinets zu Wien. Erster Theil. Schalthiere. Kraus, Vindobonae, XL + 458 pp. [https: // www. biodiversitylibrary. org / item / 43890 page / 7 / mode / 1 up] https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 11581"]}

* Phorcus richardi (Payraudeau, 1826) Figs 7M 1 –M 2 Pliocene (Zanclean): Mediterranean Sea (Spain: Estepona Basin, Italy). Pliocene (Piacenzian): Mediterranean Sea (Italy). Pleistocene: Mediterranean Sea (Italy), NE Atlantic (Morocco). Present-day: Mediterranean Sea. (Landau et al. 2003; Chirli 2004), Published as part of Harzhauser, Mathias, 2021, The Cainozoic to present-day record of Circum-Mediterranean, NE Atlantic and North Sea Cantharidinae and Trochinae (Trochoidea, Gastropoda) - a synopsis, pp. 1-81 in Zootaxa 4902 (1) on page 51, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4902.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4419088, {"references":["Chirli, C. (2004) Archaeogastropoda. Malacofauna Pliocenica Toscana, 4, 1 - 113."]}

Phorcus punctulatus (Lamarck, 1822) Pleistocene (late Pleistocene): E Atlantic (Morocco). Present-day: E Atlantic (Senegal, Gambia). (Glibert 1962), Published as part of Harzhauser, Mathias, 2021, The Cainozoic to present-day record of Circum-Mediterranean, NE Atlantic and North Sea Cantharidinae and Trochinae (Trochoidea, Gastropoda) - a synopsis, pp. 1-81 in Zootaxa 4902 (1) on page 51, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4902.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4419088, {"references":["Lamarck, J. P. B. A. de Monet de (1822) Histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertebres ... precedee d'une introduction offrant la determination des caracteres essentiels de l'animal, sa distinction du vegetal et des autres corps naturels, enfin, l'exposition des principes fondamentaux de la zoologie. Lamarck, Paris, 711 pp. [https: // www. biodiversitylibrary. org / item / 47433 page / 9 / mode / 1 up]","Glibert, M. (1962) Les Archaeogastropoda fossiles du Cenozoique etranger des collections de l'Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique. Memoires de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, 68, 3 - 131. [http: // biblio. naturalsciences. be / rbins-publications / memoirs-of-the-royal-institute-of-natural-sciences-of-belgium-second-series / 68 - 1962]"]}

Mollusk shells excavated from archeological sites have been used to reconstruct paleoenvironment, human foraging, and migratory patterns. To retrieve information on past environment or human behavior, chemical signatures such as oxygen stable isotopes (δ18Oshell) are analyzed. Shell archeological remains usually represent food waste. Thermal treatments such as boiling and roasting may influence shell structure and biochemical composition. However, little is known about the relationship between changes at macro-, microstructural and chemical levels. This work is a calibration study on modern Phorcus (Osilinus) turbinatus shells. A simulation of two different cooking methods (boiling and roasting) was carried out at four temperatures (100 °C, 300 °C, 500 °C and 700 °C) for two durations (20 min and 60 min). The structure and biochemistry of shells boiled at 100 °C did not significantly change. However, treatments at higher temperatures strongly affected both the structure and the biochemistry of the shells. At 300 °C the external coloration, as well as nacre iridescence, were altered. Raman spectroscopy revealed that, at this temperature, the aragonite-calcite polymorphic transformation starts. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed drastic changes in the microstructural organization also beginning at 300 °C. Furthermore, the isotopic δ18Oshell values were significantly affected. Increasing cooking temperatures resulted in an enhancement of the above-mentioned alterations. These results provide a set of temperature-related morphological, structural and biochemical characteristics for investigating the thermal behavior of biocarbonates and for estimating different cooking treatments in archeological record.

Genus Phorcus Risso, 1826 Type species. Phorcus margaritaceus Risso, 1826, Published as part of Mart��n-Gonz��lez, Esther, Vera-Pel��ez, Jos�� Luis, Castillo, Carolina & Lozano-Francisco, M. Carmen, 2018, New fossil gastropod species (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the upper Miocene of the Canary Islands (Spain), pp. 191-218 in Zootaxa 4422 (2) on page 203, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4422.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/1251497, {"references":["Risso, A. (1826) Histoire naturelle des principales productions de l'Europe Meridionale et particulierement de celles des environs de Nice et des Alpes Maritimes 4. IV. F. G. Levrault, Paris, 439 pp."]}

Phorcus burgadoi Mart��n-Gonz��lez sp. nov. Figure 7 A, B, C Type material. Holotype: complete, well-preserved shell of a large adult specimen (H: 35.6 mm; W: 34.8 mm), record number TFMCFO-6109. Paratypes: six specimens with record numbers TFMCFO-4623 (H: 15.6 mm; W: 16.6 mm); TFMCFO-6109a (H: 24.9 mm; W: 23 mm); TFMCFO-6109b (H: 24.7 mm; W: 23.9 mm); TFMCFO- 6109c (H: 35.6 mm; W: 27.9 mm); TFMCFO-3726 (H: 31.8 mm; W: 30.3 mm); TFMCFO-3780 (H: 30.5 mm; W: 28.2 mm). Other material examined. Overall, 45 specimens, two from Lanzarote (TFMCFO-1835, Barranco de las Pilas), and 43 from Fuerteventura (TFMCFO-3420, Morrete de los Castrillos; TFMCFO-3443, Acantilados de Aldiana; TFMCFO-3462, TFMCFO-3707, TFMCFO-4623, TFMCFO-6109, TFMCFO-6406, Bajas Amarillas; TFMCFO-3465, TFMCFO-6407, TFMCFO-6541, Playa del ��guila; TFMCFO-3726, Punta del Viento; TFMCFO- 3743, Majada Blanca; TFMCFO-3752, Barranco de Esquinzo; TFMCFO-4158, Gran Valle; TFMCFO-3780, TFMCFO-6533, TFMCFO-6583, TFMCFO-6584, Aljibe de la Cueva). Table 5 contains the descriptive biometrics and statistics for the species. Type locality. Bajas Amarillas (Fuerteventura, Canary Islands). UTM 28 R 593643 m E 3161892 m N, 10 m asl. The level is composed of poorly cemented, dark gray biogenic sandstones. Dated as Tortonian by the gastropod association described above. The paratypes are from the same type locality, as well as from Punta del Viento and Aljibe de la Cueva, in Fuerteventura. Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the common name given in the Canary Islands to the species in this genus, burgado. Description. Shell large for the genus (Hmax: 35.6 mm; Wmax: 34.8 mm), robust, trochiform, of equal height and width, with an elevated conical spire. Protoconch paucispiral, slightly eroded. Teleoconch consists of five convex whorls with a straight, linear and superficial suture, and a very prominent ramp. Superficial sculpture lacking in the adult individuals, except for the fine prosocline and opisthocyrt growth lines. In juvenile shells, very attenuated, longitudinal cords on the penultimate whorl. Suture line on last whorl is slightly convex at its end. Base evenly rounded, non-umbilicate. Aperture holostomatous with rounded, unthickened labrum. Short thin callus ending in a single blunt tooth at the columellar edge. Color not preserved; the holotype is black, probably due to taphonomic disturbances. Remarks. Phorcus burgadoi sp. nov. has not been described in previous works on the Canarian Neogene, despite its considerable size. The genus Phorcus is represented in the Canary Islands by two species, P. sauciatus (Koch in Philippi, 1845) and P. atratus (Wood, 1828), which are clearly different from the new taxon because of their smaller size and general shape. Phorcus burgadoi sp. nov. has a higher spire and a more rounded last whorl than P. sauciatus and P. atratus has a stepped shape with straighter and less globular whorls. Phorcus burgadoi sp. nov. presents some characteristics very similar to those of P. lineatus (da Costa, 1778). They differ in the aperture, which is slightly more closed in P. lineatus, also presenting a slight point in the collumelar tooth of adult specimens, and P. burgadoi sp. nov. has a higher spire. Phorcus turbinatus (Born, 1778) differs from Phorcus burgadoi sp. nov. by having a higher conical spire and a subquadrangular. The same features distinguish the new species from P. articulatus (Lamarck, 1822). Phorcus articulatus also differs in having an ornament of spiral cords separated by fine flutings. Phorcus (Trochocochlea) miocaenica (Mayer, 1858) from the French Atlantic Miocene differs from Phorcus burgadoi sp. nov. by having an ornament of spiral cords. Distribution. Upper Miocene, Tortonian: Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria., Published as part of Mart��n-Gonz��lez, Esther, Vera-Pel��ez, Jos�� Luis, Castillo, Carolina & Lozano-Francisco, M. Carmen, 2018, New fossil gastropod species (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the upper Miocene of the Canary Islands (Spain), pp. 191-218 in Zootaxa 4422 (2) on pages 203-205, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4422.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/1251497, {"references":["Philippi R. A. (1845) Bemerkungen uber die Molluskenfauna von Massachusetts. Zeitschrift fur Malakozoologie, 2, 68 - 79","Wood, W. (1828) Supplement to the Index Testaceologicus; or a catalogue of shells, British and Foreign. Illustrated with 480 figures. Richard Taylor for W. Wood, London, vi + 59 pp., 8 pls.","Da Costa, E. M. (1778) Historia Naturalis Testaceorum Britanniae, or, the British Conchology. Millan, White, Elmsley & Robson, London, xii + 254 + viii pp., 17 pls.","Born, I. von (1778) Index rerum naturalium Musei Caesarei Vindobonensis. Pars I. ma. Testacea. Erster Theil. Verzeichniss der naturlichen Seltenheiten des k. k. Naturalien Cabinets zu Wien. Schalthiere, 458 pp.","Lamarck J. B. M. (1822) Histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertebres. Tome Septieme. Paris, 711 pp.","Mayer, C. (1858) Description de coquilles nouvelles des etages superieurs des terrains tertiaires. Journal du Conchologie, 7, 73 - 89."]}

Phorcus burgadoi Martín-González sp. nov. Figure 7 A, B, C Type material. Holotype: complete, well-preserved shell of a large adult specimen (H: 35.6 mm; W: 34.8 mm), record number TFMCFO-6109. Paratypes: six specimens with record numbers TFMCFO-4623 (H: 15.6 mm; W: 16.6 mm); TFMCFO-6109a (H: 24.9 mm; W: 23 mm); TFMCFO-6109b (H: 24.7 mm; W: 23.9 mm); TFMCFO- 6109c (H: 35.6 mm; W: 27.9 mm); TFMCFO-3726 (H: 31.8 mm; W: 30.3 mm); TFMCFO-3780 (H: 30.5 mm; W: 28.2 mm). Other material examined. Overall, 45 specimens, two from Lanzarote (TFMCFO-1835, Barranco de las Pilas), and 43 from Fuerteventura (TFMCFO-3420, Morrete de los Castrillos; TFMCFO-3443, Acantilados de Aldiana; TFMCFO-3462, TFMCFO-3707, TFMCFO-4623, TFMCFO-6109, TFMCFO-6406, Bajas Amarillas; TFMCFO-3465, TFMCFO-6407, TFMCFO-6541, Playa del Águila; TFMCFO-3726, Punta del Viento; TFMCFO- 3743, Majada Blanca; TFMCFO-3752, Barranco de Esquinzo; TFMCFO-4158, Gran Valle; TFMCFO-3780, TFMCFO-6533, TFMCFO-6583, TFMCFO-6584, Aljibe de la Cueva). Table 5 contains the descriptive biometrics and statistics for the species. Type locality. Bajas Amarillas (Fuerteventura, Canary Islands). UTM 28 R 593643 m E 3161892 m N, 10 m asl. The level is composed of poorly cemented, dark gray biogenic sandstones. Dated as Tortonian by the gastropod association described above. The paratypes are from the same type locality, as well as from Punta del Viento and Aljibe de la Cueva, in Fuerteventura. Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the common name given in the Canary Islands to the species in this genus, burgado. Description. Shell large for the genus (Hmax: 35.6 mm; Wmax: 34.8 mm), robust, trochiform, of equal height and width, with an elevated conical spire. Protoconch paucispiral, slightly eroded. Teleoconch consists of five convex whorls with a straight, linear and superficial suture, and a very prominent ramp. Superficial sculpture lacking in the adult individuals, except for the fine prosocline and opisthocyrt growth lines. In juvenile shells, very attenuated, longitudinal cords on the penultimate whorl. Suture line on last whorl is slightly convex at its end. Base evenly rounded, non-umbilicate. Aperture holostomatous with rounded, unthickened labrum. Short thin callus ending in a single blunt tooth at the columellar edge. Color not preserved; the holotype is black, probably due to taphonomic disturbances. Remarks. Phorcus burgadoi sp. nov. has not been described in previous works on the Canarian Neogene, despite its considerable size. The genus Phorcus is represented in the Canary Islands by two species, P. sauciatus (Koch in Philippi, 1845) and P. atratus (Wood, 1828), which are clearly different from the new taxon because of their smaller size and general shape. Phorcus burgadoi sp. nov. has a higher spire and a more rounded last whorl than P. sauciatus and P. atratus has a stepped shape with straighter and less globular whorls. Phorcus burgadoi sp. nov. presents some characteristics very similar to those of P. lineatus (da Costa, 1778). They differ in the aperture, which is slightly more closed in P. lineatus, also presenting a slight point in the collumelar tooth of adult specimens, and P. burgadoi sp. nov. has a higher spire. Phorcus turbinatus (Born, 1778) differs from Phorcus burgadoi sp. nov. by having a higher conical spire and a subquadrangular. The same features distinguish the new species from P. articulatus (Lamarck, 1822). Phorcus articulatus also differs in having an ornament of spiral cords separated by fine flutings. Phorcus (Trochocochlea) miocaenica (Mayer, 1858) from the French Atlantic Miocene differs from Phorcus burgadoi sp. nov. by having an ornament of spiral cords. Distribution. Upper Miocene, Tortonian: Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.

Archaeological shell middens are particularly important for reconstructing prehistoric human subsistence strategies. However, very little is known about shellfish processing, especially when related to the use of fire for dietary and disposal purposes. To shed light on prehistoric food processing techniques, an experimental study was undertaken on modern gastropod shells (Phorcus lineatus). The shells were exposed to high temperatures (200–700 °C) to investigate subsequent mineralogy and macro- and microstructural changes. Afterwards, the three-pronged approach was applied to archaeological shells from Haua Fteah cave, Libya (Phorcus turbinatus) and from shell midden sites in the United Arab Emirates (Anadara uropigimelana and Terebralia palustris) to determine exposure temperatures. Results indicated that shells from the Haua Fteah were exposed to high temperatures (600–700 °C) during the Mesolithic period (ca. 12.7–9 ka), whereas specimens from the Neolithic period (ca. 8.5–5.4 ka) were mainly exposed to lower temperatures (300–500 °C). The thermally-induced changes in A. uropigimelana and T. palustris shells from the South East Arabian archaeological sites were similar to those seen in Phorcus spp. suggesting a broad applicability of the experimental results at an interspecific level. Although heat significantly altered the appearance and mineralogy of the shells, 14CAMS ages obtained on burnt shells fit within the expected age ranges for their associated archaeological contexts, indicating that robust radiocarbon ages may still be obtained from burnt shells. Our study indicates that the combination of microstructural and mineralogical observations can provide important information to infer shellfish processing strategies in prehistoric cultures and their change through time.

The marine topshell, Phorcus (Osilinus) turbinatus , is a common component of many archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. This species has been successfully used as a palaeoclimate proxy in Italy. To test whether δ 18 O from P. turbinatus shells can serve as a reliable palaeoclimate archive for other regions of the Mediterranean, we collected live P. turbinatus from the northeast coast of Malta each month for a year. The δ 18 O SHELL values of the outermost growth increments of these live-collected shells ranged between − 0.4 and + 2.4‰. These values correspond to growing temperatures calculated from shell edge δ 18 O of between 15 °C and 27 °C. Calculated shell edge sea surface temperatures are highly correlated with instrumental records of sea surface temperature recorded over the period of collection. The individuals analysed for this study are smaller than P. turbinatus from populations studied elsewhere in the Mediterranean. Nonetheless, δ 18 O SHELL provides a robust record of sea surface temperatures, suggesting that smaller/younger shells in archaeological deposits can still provide reliable palaeothermometry records. This study extends the upper growth limit P. turbinatus by 2 °C compared with the previous studies of P. turbinatus in the Mediterranean and suggests that, contrary to the previous studies, growth shutdown does not occur in all P. turbinatus when sea surface temperatures exceed 25 °C. This may reflect the higher sample resolution that can be obtained from smaller/faster growing shells, or it may reflect actual higher growth tolerances of P. turbinatus populations in Malta. By showing that P. turbinatus precipitate their shells in δ 18 O equilibrium with surrounding sea water, this study reinforces the potential for the stable isotope chemistry of P. turbinatus shells preserved in Mediterranean archaeological sites to provide a window into the climate and seasonality regimes of the past.

The trochoid genus, Gibbula, is abundant and diverse in the Mediterranean Sea but problematic to identify and delineate. This is due to highly variable shell morphology, vague original descriptions, and missing or unspecific type material. In recent studies, COI barcoding yielded satisfactory results for species delineation. In the present study, a combination of geometric shell morphometric methods and COI barcoding was used to assess the most abundant species of the Eastern Mediterranean. All relevant identification characters were captured via standardised images of the shells in both lateral and ventral views. Agreeing with previous studies, Gibbula was recovered as paraphyletic in the molecular analysis and thus is restricted to the clade encompassing the type species Gibbula magus (Linnaeus, 1758). The geometric morphometric analyses and the barcoding approach clearly distinguish the remaining species into two groups: the genus Steromphala Gray, 1847 and the genus Phorcus Risso, 1826. Type material was used for the geometric morphometric analyses whenever possible. Based on re-examination of the original type descriptions, lectotypes were designated. The joint application of DNA-barcoding and geometric morphometrics not only effectively delineated the sister genera Steromphala and Phorcus but also delineated all analysed species in the Gibbula-Steromphala-Phorcus genus complex. The additional use of geometric morphometrics enables researchers to compare barcoded material with fossil specimens or dry collections in an objective way.

The oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) recorded in shells of the gastropods Patella candei crenata and Phorcus atratus from the Canary Islands (27–29°N) potentially provide invaluable high-resolution paleoclimatic data. However, because these two species have never been studied isotopically, it is necessary to calibrate and validate this approach by using live-collected specimens that can be compared to present-day climate data. For P. candei crenata, live organisms were collected at 15-day intervals for nearly one year (between 2011 and 2012) from the rocky-intertidal coast of SE Tenerife along with sea surface temperatures (SST) and seawater δ18O values. The δ18O values of the last growth episode along the shell growth margin, representing the conditions when organisms were collected, illustrate that P. candei crenata δ18O values were 1.3 ± 0.2‰ higher than expected values from isotopic equilibrium. This finding resulted in estimated SST 5.7 ± 0.6 °C lower than observed values. This offset or “vital effect” is uniform and predictable, and therefore can be corrected by subtracting 1.3‰ from the measured shell δ18O value. Adjusted temperatures from the shell coincided with observed SST in the study area. Therefore, Patella candei crenata shells are reliable repositories of SST data, in agreement with other species of Patella from higher latitudes. For Phorcus atratus, a live specimen was analyzed isotopically along shell-growth direction. The intrashell δ18O values showed the entire range of measured SST in the region without an apparent “vital effect”, in correspondence with other Phorcus species from the Mediterranean. Both Patella candei crenata and Phorcus atratus are common components of archaeological and Pleistocene-Holocene paleontological sites across the Canary Archipelago. This study suggests that well-preserved shells of these two taxa retrieved from ancient settings have the capacity to serve as excellent high-resolution paleotemperature archives for the tropical/subtropical eastern Atlantic region.

The Mediterranean trochid gastropods currently known as Monodonta mutabilis (Philippi, 1846) and Gibbula richardi (Payraudeau, 1826) are shown, on both morphological and electrophoretic grounds, to be sibling species, and therefore congeneric. The generic name Phorcus Risso, 1826 should be used for these species, which may be more closely related to the Mediterranean Trochocochlea species than to other species classified in Gibbula. The oldest appropriate genus-group name for the Mediterranean species currently classified as Monodonta (M. articulata, M. turbinata) is Trochocochlea MOrch, 1852. The earliest type species designation for Osilinus Philippi, 1847 is that of Trochus constrictus Lamarck, 1822 by Herrmannsen (1847), which would make Osilinus a valid senior synonym of the widely used name Austrocochlea Fischer, 1885 and not of Trochocochlea as commonly accepted. A ruling of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature will be sought for the case.

Snails in the closely related trochid genera Phorcus Risso, 1826 and Osilinus Philippi, 1847 are ecologically important algal grazers in the intertidal zone of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Here we present the first complete molecular phylogeny for these genera, based on the nuclear 28S rRNA gene and the mitochondrial 16S rRNA and COI genes, and show that the current classification is erroneous. We recognize nine species in a single genus, Phorcus: estimated by BEAST analysis, this arose 30 (±10) Ma; it consists of two subgenera, Phorcus and Osilinus, which we estimate diverged 14 (±4.5) Ma. Osilinus kotschyi, from the Arabian and Red Seas, is not closely related and is tentatively referred to Priotrochus Fischer, 1879. Our phylogeny allows us to address biogeographical questions concerning the origins of the Mediterranean and Macaronesian species of this group. The former appear to have evolved from Atlantic ancestors that invaded the Mediterranean on several occasions after the Zanclean Flood, which ended the Messinian Salinity Crisis 5.3. Ma; whereas the latter arose from several colonizations of mainland Atlantic ancestors within the last 3 (±1.5) Ma. © 2011 Elsevier Inc., R.A. and J.T. were funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Project CGL2007-60954).

The seasonal pattern of shellfish foraging at the archaeological site of Haua Fteah in the Gebel Akhdar, Libya was investigated from the Epipaleolithic to the Neolithic via oxygen isotope (δ 18 O) analyses of the topshell Phorcus (Osilinus) turbinatus . To validate this species as faithful year-round palaeoenvironmental recorder, the intra-annual variability of δ 18 O in modern shells and sea water was analysed and compared with measured sea surface temperature (SST). The shells were found to be good candidates for seasonal shellfish forging studies as they preserve nearly the complete annual SST cycle in their shell δ 18 O with minimal slowing or stoppage of growth. During the terminal Pleistocene Early Epipaleolithic (locally known as the Oranian, with modeled dates of 17.2–12.5 ka at 2σ probability, Douka et al., 2014), analysis of archaeological specimens indicates that shellfish were foraged year-round. This complements other evidence from the archaeological record that shows that the cave was more intensively occupied in this period than before or afterwards. This finding is significant as the period of the Oranian was the coldest and driest phase of the last glacial cycle in the Gebel Akhdar, adding weight to the theory that the Gebel Akhdar may have served as a refugium for humans in North Africa during times of global climatic extremes. Mollusc exploitation in the Latest Pleistocene and Early Holocene, during the Late Epipaleolithic (locally known as the Capsian, c. 12.7 to 9 ka) and the Neolithic ( c . 8.5 to 5.4 ka), occurred predominantly during winter. Other evidence from these archaeological phases shows that hunting activities occurred during the warmer months. Therefore, the timing of Holocene shellfish exploitation in the Gebel Akhdar may have been influenced by the seasonal availability of other resources at these times and possibly shellfish were used as a dietary supplement when other foods were less abundant.