Four new species of the Jurassic to Cretaceous seep-restricted bivalveCaspiconchaand implications for the history of chemosynthetic communities

Abstract

AbstractFour new species of the methane seep-inhabiting kalenterid bivalve genusCaspiconchaKelly in Kelly et al., 2000 are described:Caspiconcha basquensisfrom the late Albian of northern Spain,C. yubariensisfrom the late Albian of northern Japan,C. raukumaraensisfrom the late Albian to mid-Cenomanian of New Zealand, andC. lastsamuraifrom the Campanian of northern Japan. The earliest confirmed record of the genus is known from the latest Jurassic. It reached its maximum diversity in the Albian and declined in diversity and abundance through the Late Cretaceous. The youngest species,C. lastsamurai, is currently known from a single specimen only.UUID:http://zoobank.org/2f84cfd3-216c-4f1b-8c9f-c808a47f7aaa