>Hi folks,
>
>Question for you fossil folks; this weekend I purchased my first fossil
>(geez I hope this isn't as addicitve as modern gastropods...)  at what I
>believe to be a reputable dealer.   I searched online for information
>however have not found too much as yet.  I was wondering if anyone might
>shed some light on my new addition.
>
>It is identified as Siphocypraea problematica, Heilprin, 1887.  It's 50.7
>mms long and retains a pale yellowish tan dorsum with some vague
>spotting.   The teeth and siphons are entirely intact and it's really
>lovely, even has some very slight gloss remaining.  It's locality data is
>from the Cochran pit, LaBelle, FL in the middle Caloosahatchee
>beds.  Pliocene period, "2 1/2 million years old".   Washed from pit
>wall.   It is also noted as extinct.   The posterior siphon is curled over
>upon itself in a "pig tail" configuration; very graceful and beautiful
>lines, and certainly more extensive an opening posteriorly than any modern
>Cypraea I have seen.
>
>Are there any modern "relatives" to this species?  This is my first
>encounter with fossils of any kind and I'm becoming quite
>interested...    any information at all would be great.   Was this a deep
>water species, coral, rock...?  Are there books for identification of
>fossil species such as the "Compendium" is for modern shells?     Have many
>Cypraea fossils been identified formally?   Information on where I might go
>to search for myself in south Florida would be a bonus but I have heard
>that these types of places are not open to the public...
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Nancy Smith
>Sunrise FL soon to be Boynton Beach FL :)

Olsson & Harbison's 1953 book on the Pliocene shells of Florida was
reprinted in about 1990, and I bought a copy in Sanibel. It's rather
out-of-date of course, but stil extremely useful.

Your shell sounds like it's probably correctly identified; these grow to
somewhat larger sizes also. I don't think there are any living
Siphocypraea; like Zoila and Pustularia, it has definite strong differences
from Cypraea, and is probably a good genus, rather than a subgenus. They
were probably fairly shallow-dwelling, judging by the asscociated faunas.
It could be a bit younger, say late Pliocene or about 1.8ma (million
years).

As far as I know all of the Florida shell pits eg Newburn (Sarasota),
DeSoto etc are now closed to the public. However there are public spots,
such as Shell Creek bridge near Cleveland, Charlotte Co, where small
exposures can still yield good collecting; you just have to the ignore
people in passing cars who stare at the strange individuals lying face-down
on the ground by the roadside...

Fossil collecting opens a whole new world of shells, and yes, it most
certainly is addictive! But be prepared to use glue in collection and
preparation! satellite City HS thin, HS-T gapfilling superglues glues and
accelerator are invaluable when collecting and preparing fractured or
crumbling shells.

Andrew