Antique Amastra Snail (Amastra antiqua)
The Antique Amastra Snail was described in 1895, it is known only from subfossil shells.
“We received this species from Prof. A. B. Lyons, of Oahu College. He reports that he found at Ewa a singular accumulation of these and other fossil land shells, huddled together in one spot in a bed of soft tufa-like material, at an altitude not far above sea-level. The existence of living examples of this and the following species now, or within any recent period, is highly improbable.” [1][2]
The shells are about 2 cm heigh.
The Antique Amastra Snail very likely was a Pleistocene species that disappeared at the beginning of the Holocene era when the sea levels were rising.
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References:
[1] D. D. Baldwin: Descriptions of new species of Achatinellidae from the Hawaiian Islands. Proceedings of the academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 47: 214-236. 1895
[2] George W. Tryon; Henry A. Pilsbry; a.o.: Manual of Conchology. Second series: Pulmonata. Vol 21: Achatinellidae (Amastrinae). 1911
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(public domain)
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edited: 27.09.2020