Systematic and palaeoecological study of Miocene terrestrial gastropods from Zwierzyniec (southern Poland)

Abstract

While the marine molluscs from Sarmatian deposits of the Carpathian Foredeep Basin are known in general, there is a paucity of data on the terrestrial gastropods. Recently, a rich assemblage of terrestrial snails, accompanied by freshwater species, was found in Zwierzyniec, in the north-western, marginal part of the Carpathian Foredeep. Among the 38 taxa recognised, there are 22 species found in Poland for the first time; a new clausiliid species Triloba magurkai Stworzewicz sp. nov. is described. Freshwater gastropods (nine Lymnaeidae species and two Planorbidae species) were presented elsewhere. The malacofauna comprises aquatic and typical hygrophilous elements from coastal wetland habitats, some xerophilous species from dry, open environments, and gastropods from an adjacent subtropical woodland.