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Lacazella sp. cf. L. caribbeanensis Cooper, 1977
Pl. 1, fig. 1
Material – A single specimen in the Lucas Barrett collection, BMNH B 21988 and a further valve in the collections of the Geological Museum, University of Copenhagen, both from Jamaica. A valve from the Middle Coral Rock of Barbados is also reposited in the Geological Museum, University of Copenhagen.
Description and measurements – See Harper (1993).
Discussion – Until further specimens of this taxon become available, little can be added to the comments made by Harper (1993). However, despite its rarity in the fossil record of Jamaica, it is worthwhile re-emphasising that extant L. caribbeanensis Cooper, 1977, is also known from the Tertiary of Cuba and the Dominican Republic (Cooper, 1979; Logan, 1987). Our inability to find more than one further specimen in the Manchioneal Formation, after many years of collecting, has been frustrating, but strongly indicates that this species is rare within this unit. However, it is also conceivable that our interpretation of the horizon from which it was collected may be erroneous, although we do not consider this likely. One valve of this species has also been collected from Barbados.
Occurrence – The label of BMNH B21988 states that this specimen is from the “newer Pliocene” of Jamaica. This is interpreted to be the Manchioneal Formation. However, in over 140 years since Barrett’s original discovery only one further specimen has been collected from Jamaica. As noted by Trechmann (1930, p. 216), “...the Manchioneal beds have been referred by most writers to the Pliocene ...”, a position with which he agreed with “... some doubt ...” and considered that “... Possibly if they were in Europe the Manchioneal [Formation] and perhaps also the Bowden [shell] beds might be placed in the Pliocene rather than the Miocene.” This was at a time when the Bowden shell beds, recognised to be older than the Manchioneal Formation, were considered to be Middle Miocene (Woodring, 1928; Trechmann, 1930, p. 200); they are now identified as Upper Pliocene (Donovan, 1998, and references therein).
Remarks – A printing error in Harper (2002a, table 12.1) omitted the symbol ‘J’ (for Jamaica) in the ‘Pleistocene’ column for this taxon.
Order Terebratulida Waagen, 1883
Suborder Terebratulidina Waagen, 1883
Superfamily Terebratuloidea Gray, 1840
Family Terebratulidae Gray, 1840
Subfamily Tichosininae Cooper, 1983
Genus Tichosina Cooper, 1977
Type species – Terebratula floridensis Cooper, 1977, by original designation; from the Recent of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.