BERNAYA KAYLINAE SQUIRES AND GROVES N. SP.

FIGS. 5D–F

Eocypraea castacensis (Stewart, 1926 [1927]). Vokes, 1939. p. 26 [in part], 154 [in part], pl. 20, fig.9 [not fig. 14, = Eocypraea (Eocypraea) sp. cf. E. (E.) inflata (Lamarck, 1802) of Groves, 2011]. Keen and Bentson, 1944. p. 154 [in part].

Cypraea castacensis Stewart, 1926 [1927]. Ingram, 1942. p. 103 [in part], pl. 8, fig. 5 [not fig. 6, = Eocypraea (Eocypraea) sp. cf. E. (E.) inflata (Lamarck) of Groves, 2011]. Squires, 1984. pp. 23, 24, fig. 7b. Groves and Squires, 2021. p. 226.

Zoobank ID — LSID: urn: lsid: zoobank. org:act: 62DE473E-1DF7-45C0-B34A-80197B354555

Diagnosis— A Bernaya with medium-size shell, widest centrally, aperture moderately curving posteriorly, inner lip teeth moderately spaced and extending onto of left (columellar) side shell.

Holotype and Type Locality— LACMIP 40374.80, LACMIP Type 14938 (Figs. 5D–F), length 25.6 mm, width 17.3 mm, height 12.9 mm. LACMIP Locality 7242 [= LAC- MIP Locality 40374; ex CSUN Locality 374], “Stewart bed,” middle part of Llajas Formation, Las Llajas Canyon, north side of Simi Valley, Ventura County, southern California.

Paratype — LACMIP 7242.7, LACMIP Type 6523, length 25.7 mm,width 17.2 mm,height 14.1 mm, LACMIP Locality 7242 [= LACMIP Locality 40374; ex CSUN Locality 374]. This specimen was formerly hypotype LACMIP 6523 (of Squires, 1984: pp. 23, 24, fig. 7b), of Cypraea castacensis Stewart, 1926 [1927] from the type locality (“Stewart bed,” Llajas Formation).

Referred Specimens—Hypotype (of Vokes, 1939) UCMP 33808, UCMP Locality 3296 (Llajas Formation, Devil Canyon, formerly referred to as Aliso Canyon). One specimen each from LACMIP Locality 7474 [ex CIT Locality 559] (LACMIP 7474.1, LACMIP Type 14919), LACMIP Locality 11809 [ex CIT Locality 215] (LACMIP 11809.2, LACMIP Type 14920), LACMIP Locality 22312 [ex UCLA Locality 2312] (LACMIP 22312.47, LACMIP Type 14921), and LACMIP Locality 26619 [ex UCLA Locality 6619] (LACMIP 26619.1, LACMIP Type 14922), and three topotypic specimens, LACMIP 40374.81, LACMIP Type 14939 (LACMIP Locality 72421 [= LACMIP Locality 40374; ex CSUN Locality 374]), all Llajas Formation, Simi Valley, Ventura County, southern California.

Occurrence— Upper lower Eocene, lower part of “Domengine Stage”: “Stewart bed” north side of Simi Valley, and approximately 25 m stratigraphically below “Stewart bed,” southwestern Santa Susana Mountains (Devil Canyon, [ex Aliso Canyon]), Ventura County, southern California. The depositional environment of the "Stewart bed" was revised by Squires (2022) as deposited in a subtropical, shallow-marine environment at the distal edge of a braided delta.

Etymology— Named for Kaylin Marie Solomon, granddaughter of R.L. Squires (who collected the holotype, paratype, and three non-type specimens of this species).

Description— Shell medium size, inflated, and smooth. Spire very low (normally covered by thin layer of shell). Aperture moderately straight (with moderate bend posteriorly), mostly narrow but widening significantly anteriorly into broad, concave depression. Outer lip with 18 to 19 teeth, confined to inner margin;most anteriorly located teeth (four to five) strongest and extend half way up lip and are coincident with thinning of outer wall. Remaining outer lip teeth weaker and extend only short distance and are coincident with nearly vertical surface. Inner lip with 15 to 16 teeth, moderately spaced and becoming slightly more closely spaced posteriorly; strongest and longest inner lip teeth located on medial part of inner lip and extend to lip margin. Anterior end smooth, concave, and broad. Anterior terminal ridge well developed. Anterior (siphonal) and posterior (exhalant) canals well developed and prominent.

Remarks— The ten known specimens of Bernaya kaylinae range in preservation from poor to good. Bernaya kaylinae differs from Grovesia castacensis by having a more inflated and non-tapered shell shape and much finer teeth. Bernaya kaylinae resembles a few specimens of Grovesia mathewsonii (Gabb, 1869) that were originally identified as Cypraea kerniana Anderson and Hanna, 1925 from the Tejon Formation in Grapevine Creek, Kern County, southern California. Bernaya kaylinae differs from them by having a much less tapered teleoconch, a rounded (not lop-sided) last whorl, shorter transverse ribs on the venter, and less numerous and more closely spaced teeth on the outer lip.

Bernaya kaylinae is very similar to B. marcominii Dolin and Aguerre (2016: pl. 2, figs. 1–3), of middle Ypresian age in the Oise region of France. Bernaya kaylinae differs by having a narrower and more curved posterior terminal of the outer lip, slightly more projected posterior terminal of the inner lip, and a wider anterior end of the aperture. Bernaya kaylinae is also similar to B. sixi Pacaud and Robert (2016: pl. 1, figs. 1, 2a, b), of middle Ypresian (Cuisian) age in the Oise region of France, in having a barely hidden spire. The new species differs from B. sixi by having coarser sculpture, a deeper notched posterior canal, a wide-concave depression at the anterior end of the shell, and no anterior terminal ridge.