SPIRA 2007 Vol. 2 Núm. 3 Pàg. 191-196 Rebut el 8 d’octubre de 2007; Acceptat el 27 d’octubre de 2007 Reply to Quintana et al. (2007): Darderia bellverica Altaba, 2007 is the correct name for the Mallorcan fossil helicodontid CRISTIAN R. ALTABA Laboratory of Human Systematics, Universitat de les Illes Balears, 07071 Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands (Spain) E-mail: [email protected] _______________________________________________________________________________________________ For several decades, a very rare, take the occasion to criticize my work. enigmatic land snail found in Quaternary Herewith I present a rebuttal of all their sediments on the island of Mallorca points. (Majorca) was attributed to Oestophora barbula (Rossmässler, 1838), a west- • The original description of Darderia Iberian species never recorded in the bellverica was published in February Balearics (Gasull, 1963; Cuerda, 1989). 2007. Although issue 26.2 of Animal This identification was based on superficial Biodiversity and Conservation belongs similarity and incomplete preparation of the into the volume corresponding to 2006, few specimens available. A re-examination the actual publication date is clearly of the two shells belonging to the Gasull mentioned in both the print and online collection and now deposited at the Museu versions. de Ciències Naturals de la Ciutadella in • The claim by Quintana et al. (2007) that Barcelona (catalog number MZB 84–6550) their former paper was published in allowed the description of a new species 2006 is a factual misrepresentation. within a new endemic genus, Darderia The Bolletí of the SHNB has often been bellverica Altaba, 2007 (Figures 1 and 2). published with great delay relative to the publication date printed in recent Several months after this description issues; volume 49 is no exception. was published in Animal Biodiversity and Indeed, on the cover and frontispiece of Conservation (Altaba, 2006, published in this issue the date printed is December 2007), a paper has appeared in the Bolletí 2006 (on pages 11 and 13, the date is de la Societat d’Història Natural de les 2005). This date cannot correspond to Balears (Quintana et al., 2006, published in the actual publication date for the 2007), where the same taxon is described following reasons. First, there are as a new species, Oestophora cuerdai several papers stating that they were Quintana, Vicens et Pons, 2007, on the accepted on “29-des-06”; it is most basis of three additional specimens. Two of unlikely that any printer would produce these belong to the Cuerda collection, and distribute a printed volume in just currently located at the Societat d’Història two days. Second, this issue includes Natural de les Balears (SHNB) in Palma. (p. 213) an obituary for someone Now Quintana et al. (2007), the authors of deceased in late January 2007 (Moyà- this binomen, claim to have priority and Solà & Pons, 2006). This obituary is SPIRA, Vol. 2 (3) 191 Associació Catalana de Malacologia (2007) Figure 1. Holotype (MZB 84–6550A) of Darderia bellverica Altaba, 2007. Maximum diameter: 10.1 mm. signed by one of the authors of of Quintana (2006) in volume 49 of the Oestophora cuerdai. Third, Darderia Bolletí. The recency of the last Bolletí is bellverica was included in the catalog of further confirmed by the fact that the Beckmann (2007: p. 91), together with summary alone is posted on the web an indication that another “Oestophora page of SHNB without the pdf files as sp. ind.” would be described in the previous volumes (SHNB, 2007). future by Quintana, Vicens and Pons. • It is worth noticing that one of the Beckmann’s book, to which Quintana authors of Oestophora cuerdai is himself contributed, was compiled in himself editor of the Bolletí. Thus, the just a few months and published in July claim by Quintana et al. (2007) that the 2007, in a hurry due to the author’s publication date of the description of terminal illness (as attested by the Oestophora cuerdai has to be biography on p. 255, dated “den 8. Juni considered 2006, simply because there 2007”). On p. 68 of the same book it is is no printed mention of a later date in stated that Quintana was working on it, is not only unfounded, but shows that another paper, which was finally journal’s irregular management of published in the same Bolletí of the publication dates—no matter how they SHNB vol. 49 (Quintana, 2006, invoke the Code (ICZN, 1999). published in 2007), which was just The preceding points lead to the started to be distributed after conclusion that, although there seems September. In summer, a pdf file of this to be no way of determining the exact paper circulated through the Internet, date of publication of Bolletí SHNB vol. with no page numbers and a heading 49, this issue was really published in belonging to a monograph of the SHNB late 2007, certainly much later than entitled “Quaternari i Geomorfologia. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation Homenatge a Joan Cuerda Barceló”. vol. 26.2. Oestophora cuerdai is thus a Such monograph was also cited by junior synonym of Darderia bellverica. Vicens et al. (2006), but it was never • The criticism of Quintana et al. (2007) published. Apparently a late decision on the description of Darderia bellverica was taken not to publish that is equivocal and misleading. The monograph, including at least the paper complex apertural dentition consisting 192 SPIRA, Vol. 2 (3) Associació Catalana de Malacologia (2007) Figure 2 Holotype (MZB 84–6550A) of Darderia bellverica Altaba, 2007. Maximum diameter: 10.1 mm. Reprinted from Altaba (2006). of one angular and several palatal five infrapalatals) with the armature of denticles is already well described and the type species, D. bellverica (five figured (Altaba, 2006). The latter at infrapalatals, in contrast with other least are clearly visible in Quintana et species included in the genus). al. (2007: Fig. 1), who employ an • Likewise, the claim by Quintana et al. incorrect nomenclature to the apertural (2007) that there is a mistake in the armature of land snails (ibid.: p. 159): “it apertural angle measurement given in is only possible to observe a low Altaba (2006) is based on their failure angular tooth (or basal tooth) to correctly measure this angle. There accompanied by a very elongated is no discrepancy if the coiling axis is palatal tooth”. This is quite inexact for taken as the origin (as explicitly stated two reasons. First, an angular tooth is in the original description of Darderia not the same as a basal tooth – the bellverica). angular lies at the junction of the • Why Quintana et al. (2007) cast doubts parietal and palatal margins, whilst a on the allocation of Darderia within basal is by definition located at the Lindholmiolinae remains elusive. As distal end of the aperture. And second, already pointed in the original the palatals are not simply one description (Altaba, 2006), such elongated, but five: two basally fused placement depends critically on the into a nearly lamellar structure just interpretation of homologies in the under the peripheral keel, one apertural dentition and protoconch. The prominent at the lower angle, a small overall shape of Darderia bellverica is one between the previously mentioned, intriguingly reminiscent of Lindholmiola and a more bulky, blunt, forward Hesse, 1931, a taxonomically isolated protruding thickening at the lower helicodontid genus comprising several angle. These palatals can be seen in species from the Eastern the figures given by Quintana et al. Mediterranean region. The only other (2006, 2007); why they fail to identify genus belonging to the Lindholmiolinae these denticles (and to recognize the Schileyko, 1978, is Atenia Gittenberger, angular) is unclear. Furthermore, 1968, a rare, monotypic endemic genus Quintana et al. (2007) are wrong in of eastern Iberia, whose aspect and trying to criticize the diagnosis of aperture are quite distinctive and Darderia in Altaba (2006), because they unusual. Nevertheless, the protoconch confuse the traits of the genus (one to miscrosculpture of Atenia (Martínez- SPIRA, Vol. 2 (3) 193 Associació Catalana de Malacologia (2007) Ortí, 2006) is apparently identical to fundamental issue if our goal is to know that of Darderia, probably indicating the history of life through a coherent, phylogenetic proximity. Indeed, the low logical classification based on angular tooth of Darderia, a feature monophyletic groupings (Cela-Conde & absent from other helicodontids, could Altaba, 2002). The description of a new be homologous to the parietal lip of genus and species appears herewith Atenia. The latter feature is a justified under the premises of building homoplasy (Gittenberger, 1968) shared a taxonomy that aims at reflecting with Trissexodon Pilsbry, 1895, which cladistic relationships and being belongs to a different subfamily, the phylogenetically informative.” Why Trissexodontinae (Nordsieck, 1987). Quintana et al. (2007) insist in pointing However, the parietal lip of Trissexodon at the absence of anatomical is continuous with, and can be characters remains obscure. At any interpreted as a prolongation of, its rate, their statement that the traits of flaring peristome. Thus, the mere Darderia are coincident with those of presence of a parietal tooth or lip may Oestophora is merely based on have a low phylogenetic value; yet, the superficial similarities. Darderia has existence of such an armature indeed a general habitus similar to extending from the angular area, in Oestophora Hesse, 1907, but differs in addition to the protoconch characters, having much more developed apertural may indicate a common ancestry of armature (including an angular tooth), Atenia and Darderia within the protoconch microsculpture lacking Lindholmiolinae. As a result of an distinctive spiral incised lines, and incorrect and incomplete interpretation showing hair pits in the teleoconch. of the denticles and protoconch, Various other extant helicodontid Quintana et al. (2007) claim that these genera also have a similar lenticular traits are widespread among the appearance, but have very different Helicodontidae.