Chilodontaidae Wenz 1938

Chilodontaidae indet.

Fig. 3D–F

ITALY – Tuscany • 1 spec.; Le Colline; MSF 1209 (H = 7.8 mm).

Tall, turbiniform shell, about 7 mm high, four convex whorls with incised suture, sculptured by six equally spaced, fine spirals cords, crossed by likewise sized and spaced, oblique axial ribs; basal margin sharp, base smooth, slightly convex, narrow umbilical slit; aperture circular, entire.

This worn specimen is difficult to place. It shows cancellate sculpture similar to that of Putzeysia diversii sp. nov. described above, but all described species of Putzeysia are in the size range of 3.5 to 4.5 mm height, were the specimen concerned here is 8 mm high. Furthermore, most species of Putzeysia show sculpture on the base, in contrast to the genuinely smooth base of the specimen concerned here. We place this specimen in the family Chilodontaidae due to its general resemblance of members of this family, but do not assign it to any genus. A Miocene species with similar shape and sculpture is Monodontella ? taurelegans Sacco, 1896 re-illustrated in Ferrero Mortara et al. (1984: pl. 46 fig. 5a–c), but that species has a taller spire than Putzeysia sp., and distinct denticles in the aperture. The Early Miocene Magulus tauracutus Sacco, 1896 re-illustrated in Ferrero Mortara et al. (1984: pl. 47 fig. 6a–b) is considered as belonging to Gibbula Risso, 1826 (Harzhauser 2021) and has a more dome-like spire.