Vertigo parcedentata is a species of small, air-breathing land snail, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs or micromollusks in the family Vertiginidae, the whorl snails.MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Vertigo parcedentata (A. Braun, 1847). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1050671 on 2023-02-11
Distribution
Vertigo parcedentata was first described as a fossil from the loess of Wiesbaden, Germany. The fossil distribution also includes other parts of Europe, from the Netherlands to Ukraine: Pleistocene and alluvium of the Rhine valley in Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, etc. Preece, White & Shchetnikov (2007)Preece C. R., White D. & Shchetnikov A. A. (2007). "Holocene molluscan successions from the lake Baikal region, Siberia". World Congress of Malacology 2007: 172 (abstract). had the first Holocene findings from the Baikal region.
Until recently, this species was believed to be extinct. Quite surprisingly, it was found alive in the Dovrefjell, Norway. Meng (2008) Meng S. (2008). "Neue Daten zur Verbreitung der Vertiginidae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) in Zentralasien. [New distribution data for Vertiginidae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) in Central Asia]". Mollusca 26(2): 207-219. PDF. found evidence of the occurrence of Vertigo parcedentata in the Altay Mountains and Tien Shan. In 2009 the material was photographed for the first time and compared with fossil material from Central Germany. Pokryszko & Horsák (2007)Pokryszko B. M. & Horsák M. (2007). "Pupilloidea (Pupillidae, Vertiginidae, Valloniidae, Gastrocoptinae) of the Altay – a travel in space time". World Congress of Malacology 2007: 170 (abstract). also found evidence of the recent occurrence of this species in the Altay region.
The Recent distribution of this species includes: Dovrefjell, NorwaySpecies summary for Vertigo parcedentata. AnimalBase, last modified 19 February 2009. Altay Mountains in Russia Tien Shan in Kyrgyzstan
Description The shell is small, narrowly ovate. The shell has a narrow umbilical crevice and blunt summit. The shell has from 4 to 5 convex whorls separated by a deeply impressed suture. The last whorl is forming half of the total length. The first whorl is entirely smooth, the rest having rather oblique striae, of which there are several finer between two stronger striae.
The aperture is semiovate, obliquely truncate above, with weakly reflected margins that are connected by a very thin callus. The right margin is weakly arched forward. It has usually one or two teeth or is wholly toothless, but it can have up to 4 teeth.
Authorities differ over the dimensions of the shell: The width of the adult shell is 1 mm, the height is 1.8–2.2 mm (Pilsbry 1918–1920). The width of the adult shell is 1.15–1.2 mm, the height is 2–2.2 mm (Ložek 1964). Ložek V. (1964). Quartärmollusken der Tschechoslowakei. Rozpravy Ústředního ústavu geologického, Vol. 31, Nakladatelství ČSAV, Praha, volume 31, 374 pp., 32 tables, 4 supplements, p. 206. The width of the adult shell is 1.15–1.25 mm, the height is 1.7–2.3 mm (AnimalBase 2009).
Ecology Vertigo parcedentata inhabits soligenous and mixed calcareous fens.
References This article incorporates public domain text from referencePilsbry H. A. & Cooke C. M. (1918-1920). Manual of Conchology. Second series: Pulmonata. Volume 25. Pupillidae (Gastrocoptinae, Vertigininae). Philadelphia. page 207. and CC-BY-3.0 text from the referenceMeng S. & Hoffmann M. H. (2009). "Pupilla loessica Ložek 1954 (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Pupillidae) – "A Living Fossil" in Central Asia?". Eiszeitalter und Gegenwart Quaternary Science Journal 58(1): 55–69. .
Bank, R. A.; Neubert, E. (2017). Checklist of the land and freshwater Gastropoda of Europe. Last update: July 16, 2017
External links
Braun, A. (1847). Löss bei Krakau und an der Donau; Binnen-Konchylien darin. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geognosie, Geologie und Petrefakten-Kunde. 1847: 49-54