Brasilennea arethusae is a fossil species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Cerionidae, from the Paleocene Itaboraí Basin, Brazil.[1] Brasilennea arethusae is the largest species in the genus Brasilennea.[1] It was one of the first fossils found in Itaboraí Basin and its name makes reference to the fact that it is a terrestrial species: the name is in honor of Arethusa, a sylvan nymph and one of the Hesperides from Greek mythology.[2]

Brasilennea arethusae
Temporal range: Paleocene (Itaboraian)
~Paleocene[1]
apertural and lateral view of Brasilennea arethusae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia

clade Euthyneura
clade Panpulmonata
clade Eupulmonata
clade Stylommatophora

informal group Sigmurethra
Superfamily:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
B. arethusae
Binomial name
Brasilennea arethusae
Maury, 1935[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Salvador, R.B.; Rowson, B.; Simone, L.R.L. 2011. Rewriting the fossil history of Cerionidae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata): new family assignment of the Brazilian Palaeocene genus Brasilennea Maury, 1935. Journal of Molluscan Studies 77: 445–447. doi:10.1093/mollus/eyr021
  2. ^ a b Maury, C.J. 1935. New genera and new species of fossil terrestrial Mollusca from Brazil. American Museum Novitates 764: 1–15. PDF.