Hi David, and Lindsey,
 
>Most of the Pliocene cowries of the southeastern U.S. are Siphocypraea
>carolinensis (Conrad, 1841), including most if not all of the odd "species"
>or "genera" from south Florida.
>
 
I'd like to see this topic stay on Conch-L. It  is of interest to many.
Lots of us are fossil mollusk collectors. And I'd like to hear more about
what actually is carolinensis.  One of the hardest pills I had to swallow
when I first got interested in fossils (brachiopods here in KY, actually)
was the way they change through time and geographical distribution.
 
I have a little fully mature cowrie (37 mmX 20.5mm H X 24mm W) I found in
the APAC pit in 1988 that seems to me to look a lot different from all the
others I collected there. It is much more humped posteriorly, sloping
sharply toward the anterior end, and it has heavy and high lateral calluses
-- 2/3 of the way up on the body whorl side.
 
There is no lateral extension on the callus anteriorly or posteriorly as in
some Siphocypraea (and Zoila). It has sharpish little teeth, 18 on the
outer lip.  I would have to guess it is a Siphocypraea though. It has a
rostrate quality, and that very open, though heavily callused-over,
posterior canal, similar to a real mature C. tigris. No fossula has
developed.  Aperture widens anteriorly. It was identified at the collecting
locality by Ed Petuch as  "sarasotaensis."  Any ideas?
 
Lynn Scheu
Louisville, KY