''Ecphora'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

predatory Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...

ocenebrinid

murex ''Murex'' is a genus of medium to large sized predatory tropical sea snails. These are carnivorous marine gastropod molluscs in the family Muricidae, commonly called "murexes" or "rock snails".Houart, R.; Gofas, S. (2010). Murex Linnaeus, 1 ...

es indigenous to the

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

n Eastern Seaboard from

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

until their extinction during the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58

"(s).

Etymology

The name "Ecphora" is Greek, meaning "bearing out." The word was originally used by

Vitruvius Vitruvius ( ; ; –70 BC – after ) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work titled . As the only treatise on architecture to survive from antiquity, it has been regarded since the Renaissan ...

to signify the projecture of a member or moulding of a column, and here refers to the distinctive "T-shaped" ribs that project from the shell.Oxford English Dictionary, "Ecphora" entry.

Subdivisions

As originally proposed by Petuch in 1988, ''

Trisecphora ''Trisecphora'' is a genus of extinct predatory ocenebrinid murexes indigenous to the Miocene coastline of what is now Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia from the Aquitanian epoch until their extinction near the end of the Serravallian epoc ...

'' was regarded as a subgenus of ''Ecphora'' (''

sensu stricto ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular c ...

''), as was the genus '' Latecphora''. However, further study (by Petuch) of these two subgenera lead to their promotion to genera proper. However, '' Planecphora'' Petuch 2004 was originally proposed as a full genus, but was then demoted to subgenus. Currently, ''Ecphora'' is subdivided into the subgenus ''Planecphora'', and several

species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

es. Originally, the species of ''Planecphora'' consisted of the "''Ecphora choptankensis'' Species Complex" before Petuch elevated the complex to genus status.

Subgenus ''Planecphora''

*'' Ecphora (Planecphora) turneri'' (Petuch, 1988)

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

*'' Ecphora (Planecphora) vokesi'' (Petuch, 1988) Miocene Maryland and Virginia *'' Ecphora (Planecphora) choptankensis'' (Petuch, 1988) (nominate species) Miocene Maryland and Virginia *'' Ecphora (Planecphora) delicata'' (Petuch, 1988) Miocene Maryland and Virginia *''

Ecphora (Planecphora) hertweckorum Ecphora is the common name for a group of extinct predatory marine gastropod mollusks within the family Muricidae, the rocks snails or murexes. The common name is based on the first officially described genus, ''Ecphora''. The entire lineage of ...

'' (Petuch, 1987) Pliocene

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

*'' Ecphora (Planecphora) mansfieldi'' (Petuch, 1989) Pliocene

''Ecphora (sensu stricto)''

''Ecphora gardnerae'' Species Complex

*'' E. wardi'' Petuch, 1988 *'' E. calvertensis'' Petuch, 1988 *'' E. chesapeakensis'' Petuch, 1992 *'' E. williamsi'' Ward and Gilinsky, 1988 *'' E. conoyensis'' Petuch, 2004 *'' E. asheri'' Petuch, 1988 *'' E.germonae'' Ward and Gilinsky, 1988 *'' E. gardnerae gardnerae'' Wilson, 1987(nominate subspecies = ''Ecphora gardneri'') *'' E. gardnerae angusticostata'' Petuch, 1989 *'' E. whiteoakensis'' Ward and Gilinsky, 1988 *'' E. streami'' (Petuch, 1994)

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58E. pachycostata'' (Petuch, 1989) Pliocene

''Ecphora meganae'' Species Complex

*'' E. mattinglyi'' Petuch, 2004 *'' E. sandgatensis'' Petuch, 1989 *'' E. meganae'' Ward and Gilinsky, 1988 *'' E. amyae'' Petuch and Drolshagen, 2010 *'' E. roxaneae'' Petuch, 1991

''Ecphora rikeri'' Species Complex

*'' E. harasewychi'' Petuch, 1989 *'' E. rikeri'' Petuch, 1988

''Ecphora quadricostata'' Species Complex

*'' E. floridana'' Petuch, 1989 *'' E. kochi'' Ward and Gilinsky, 1988 *'' E. quadricostata quadricostata'' (Say, 1824 (nominate subspecies = ''Ecphora quadricostata'') *'' E. quadricostata rachelae'' Petuch, 1988 *'' E. striatula'' Petuch, 1986 *'' E. umbilicata'' Petuch, 1986

Evolution

''Ecphora'' is derived from the slightly older ''Trisecphora'', diverging during the

Langhian The Langhian is, in the ICS geologic timescale, an age or stage in the middle Miocene Epoch/Series. It spans the time between 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma and 13.65 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago) during the Middle Miocene.GeoWhen (2007) The Langhian was ...

epoch. The oldest species is '' E. wardi'', found in the Plum Point Member of the

Calvert Formation The Calvert Formation is a Formation (geology), geologic formation in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. It preserves fossils dating back to the early to middle Miocene, Miocene epoch of the Neogene Period (geology), period. It is one of the three ...

. Later during the Miocene, daughter genera, in the form of ''Latecphora'', and '' Globecphora'', and ''Planecphora'' split off during the early

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where corals can develop. Most ...

in what is now the

Everglades The Everglades is a natural region of flooded grasslands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orlando with the K ...

until the late

Piacenzian The Piacenzian is in the international geologic time scale the upper stage (stratigraphy), stage or latest age (geology), age of the Pliocene. It spans the time between 3.6 ± 0.005 year#SI prefix multipliers, Ma and 2.58 Ma (million years ago). T ...

epoch of the late

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58Nomenclator Zoologicus info
* G. C. Martin. 1904. ''Gastropoda''. Maryland Geological Survey Miocene(Text):131-269 * N. F. Sohl. 1964. ''Neogastropoda, Opisthobranchia, and Basommatophora from the Ripley, Owl Creek, and Prairie Bluff Formations''. US Geological Survey Professional Paper 331(B):153-344 * E. J. Petuch. 1992. ''New ecphoras (Gastropoda: Thaididae: Ecphorinae) from the Calvert Formation of Maryland (Langhian Miocene).'' The Nautilus 106(2):68-71 * J. J. Sepkoski. 2002. ''A compendium of fossil marine animal genera''. Bulletins of American Paleontology 363:1-560

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16981526 Muricidae Index fossils Miocene gastropods Pliocene gastropods Langhian first appearances Piacenzian extinctions Prehistoric molluscs of North America Fossil taxa described in 1843 nl:Ecphora vi:Ecphora