Schilderina
A genus of cowries with many fossil species.
Schilderina is a genus of marine gastropod molluscs, specifically sea snails belonging to the cowrie family Cypraeidae and its subfamily Zonariinae. This group contains both living species and a substantial number of extinct ones, which are known only from fossils. Among the recognized species are *Schilderina achatidea*, along with many fossil taxa such as †*Schilderina amygdalum*, †*Schilderina andegavensis*, †*Schilderina austriaca*, †*Schilderina brebioni*, †*Schilderina charlesi*, †*Schilderina columbaria*, †*Schilderina decorticata*, †*Schilderina dertoflavicula*, †*Schilderina elegantissima*, †*Schilderina longiscata*, †*Schilderina orbiculata*, †*Schilderina paulensis*, †*Schilderina semidenticulata*, †*Schilderina transsylvanica*, †*Schilderina utriculata*, and †*Schilderina vaesseni*. Several names once considered separate species have been reclassified as synonyms of *Schilderina achatidea*: these include *Schilderina auricoma*, *Schilderina oranica*, *Schilderina inopinata*, and *Schilderina longinqua* (the latter two now treated as a subspecies, *Schilderina achatidea inopinata*).
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Schilderina
- Type Species
- Cypraea achatidea
- Type Species Authority
- J. E. Gray, 1837
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The genus Schilderina was established within the subfamily Zonariinae of the family Cypraeidae. Its type species is Schilderina achatidea, described by Gray in 1837. The genus contains a single extant species, Schilderina achatidea, alongside a rich fossil record of 16 extinct species spanning the Miocene and earlier epochs. Fossil species include Schilderina amygdalum, Schilderina andegavensis, Schilderina austriaca, Schilderina brebioni, Schilderina charlesi, Schilderina columbaria, Schilderina decorticata, Schilderina dertoflavicula, Schilderina elegantissima, Schilderina longiscata, Schilderina orbiculata, Schilderina paulensis, Schilderina semidenticulata, Schilderina transsylvanica, Schilderina utriculata, and Schilderina vaesseni. Several names have been synonymized under Schilderina achatidea, including Schilderina auricoma and Schilderina oranica, while Schilderina inopinata and Schilderina longinqua are considered synonyms of the subspecies Schilderina achatidea inopinata.
Reader's Guide
The genus Schilderina holds significance primarily through its fossil diversity, which provides insight into the evolutionary history of cowries within the subfamily Zonariinae. The 16 extinct species, described from various European fossil deposits, document a range of shell morphologies and temporal distributions from the Miocene and earlier periods. The single extant species, Schilderina achatidea, serves as a living representative linking modern cowries to their fossil relatives. The synonymy of several names under Schilderina achatidea and its subspecies reflects taxonomic refinements over time. The genus was formally treated in a 2020 publication by Dolin and Aguerre, which described two new fossil species from the Serravallian stage of the Miocene in southwestern France. This work underscores the ongoing study of Schilderina as a group that bridges paleontological and neontological research within the cowrie family.
Did You Know?
- Schilderina contains 16 extinct fossil species and one extant species.
- The genus is placed in the subfamily Zonariinae of the family Cypraeidae.
- Two new fossil species, Schilderina charlesi and Schilderina vaesseni, were described in 2020.
- Schilderina achatidea was originally described by Gray in 1837.
More in Cowries, Part 2 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced