Towards Resolving the American and West African Strombidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Neostromboidae) Using Integrated Taxonomy

Abstract

The phylogeny of the American Strombidae the genus Lobatus is limited to the extant Lobatus raninus and several fossil precursors, the genera Macrostrombus, Aliger and Titanostrombus are re-installed as valid genera. The genus Persististrombus which was used as a sink for a plethora of species, is limited to the extant Persististrombus granulatus, fossil American species and a few Eocene to Miocene European species, which we enclose within Persististrombini nov. tribus along with Thetystrombus. Two new genera for the Miocene ancestral basal taxa of Aligerini nov. tribus, Edpetuchistrombus nov. gen. and Antestrombus nov. gen., both of which represent basal reference points enabling greater clarity in the resolution of early West African and American Strombidae radiations are proposed. This revised phylogeny informed by total evidence and historical revisions will assist in providing an evolutionary-based nomenclature that offers a structural basis for further explanation of the radiation and diversification of taxa within the Strombidae.