Bulletin ofZoological Nomenclature 59(3) September 2002 173 Case 3220 Ovula gisortiana Passy, 1859 (currently Gisortia gisortiana; MoUusca, Gastropoda): proposed precedence of the specific name over that of Cypraea coombii Sowerby in Dixon, 1850 Jean-Michel Pacaud Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Laboratoire de Paleontologie UMR 8569 CNRS, 8 me Buffon, F-75005 Paris. France (e-mail: [email protected]) Luc Dolin 1 rue des Sablons, Mesvres, 37150 Civray-de-Touraine, France Abstract.Thepurposeofthis applicationunderArticles23.9.3 and 81.2.3 oftheCode is to conserve the widely used specific name Ovula gisortiana Passy, 1859 for an Eocene fossil species ofcowrie (family cypraeidae) from western Europe by givingit precedence over the senior subjective synonym Cypraea coombii Sowerby in Dixon, 1850. Keywords. Nomenclature; taxonomy; Mollusca; Gastropoda; cypraeidae; Gisortia; Gisortia gisortiana; Cypraea coombii; cowrie; Eocene; western Europe. 1. The name Ovula gisortiana Passy, 1859 (p. 948) was given to an Eocene fossil species of cowrie (family cypraeidae). This nominal species is the type species by original designation of the genus Gisortia Jousseaume, 1884 (p. 89). The name A O. gisortiana has been used by numerous authors. list of 25 representative references, which include Vredenburg (1927), Schilder (1930), Wenz (1941), Walls (1979), Burgess (1985) and Lorenz & Hubert (1999), has been given to the Commission Secretariat. 2. Cossmann (1886, p. 434) made an unjustified emendation of gisortiana to gisortiensis. The bibliographic reference Ovula gisortiana Valenciennes, 1843, intro- duced by Deshayes (1865, pp. 568-569), refers to an oral presentation at the Academic des Sciences de Paris. It has never been published (see Vredenburg, 1927) and as such is an unavailable name. 3. Cypraea coombii Sowerby was described in Dixon (1850, p. 188, pi. 8, fig. 6). However, with the exception ofsystematic lists (see Article 23.9.6 ofthe Code), this name has had only limited use (see Schilder, 1929, pp. 299-300, 306). 4. Schilder(1929, p. 306) noted the similarity between the nominal taxa C. coombii and O. gisortiana. Discoveries ofnew specimens from the Late Ypresian ofGan (see Dolin, Dolin & Lozouet, 1985) and from the Early Lutetian ofthe Paris Basin show that the species C coombii (type material from the Lower Bracklesham beds (Lutetian), England; Schilder, 1929, p. 306) is probably conspecific with the species O. gisortiana (type material from the Middle Eocene of Gisors (Lutetian), France; Schilder, 1929, p. 306) makingthe name O. gisortianaa.']umor subjective synonym of the name C coombii. 174 Bulletin ofZoological Nomenclature 59(3) September 2002 5. We propose that the specific name of Oviila gisortiana Passy, 1859, which is in widespread use, be given conditional precedence over the little-used name Cypraea coombii Sowerby in Dixon, 1850 in accord with Article 81.2.3 of the Code. Commission approval will mean that if the two names are considered to be synonyms, gisortiana becomes the valid name for the taxon. 6. The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature is accordingly asked: (1) to use its plenary power to give the name gisortiana Passy, 1859, as published in thebinomen Ovulagisortiana, precedence overthe name coombiiSowerby in Dixon, 1850, as published in the binomen Cypraea coombii, whenever the two names are considered to be synonyms; (2) to place on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology the name Gisortia Jousseaume, 1884 (gender: feminine), type species by original designation Ovula gisortiana Passy, 1859; (3) to place on the Official List ofSpecific Names in Zoology the followingnames: (a) gisortiana Passy, 1859, as published in the binomen OvuJa gisortiana, with the endorsement that it is to be given precedence over the name coombii Sowerby in Dixon, 1850, as published in the binomen Cypraea coombii, whenever the two names are considered to be synonyms (specific name of the type species of Gisortia Jousseaume, 1884); {^) coombii Sowerby in Dixon, 1850, as published in the binomen Cypraea coombii, with the endorsement that it is not to be given priority over the namegisortiana Passy, 1859, as published in the binomen Ovulagisortiana, whenever the two names are considered to be synonyms; (4) to place on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Specific Names in Zoology the name gisortiensis Cossmann, 1886, as published in the binomen Ovula gisortiensis (an unjustified emendation ofOvulagisortiana Passy, 1859). References Burgess, CM. 1985. Cowries ofthe world.2^9 pp. Seacomber Publications. Cossmann, M. 1886. Observations sur quelques grandes Ovules de I'eocene. Bulletin de la Societe Geologique de France, 3(14):433^37. Deshayes,G.P. 1865. DescriptiondesAnimauxsans vertebresdecouvertsdanslebassindeParis, vol. 3, parts 45-50. Pp. 201-669, pis. 86-107. Bailliere, Paris. Dolin, C, Dolin, L. & Lozouet, P. 1985. Paleoecology ofsomeclassicTertiary localities in the Aquitaine and Paris Basins ofFrance. Mississippi Geology. 5(4): 4-13. Jousseaume, F. 1884. Etude surla familledes Cypraeidae. Bulletin de la SocieteZoologiquede France, 9: 81-100. Lorenz, F. & Hubert, A. 1999. A guide to worldwide cowries, Ed. 2. 584 pp., 128 pis. Conchbooks. Passy, A. 1859. Description d'une grande Ovuledu terrain tertiaire parisien. ComptesRendus de I'Academie des Sciences, Paris, 48(1): 948. Schilder, F.A. 1929. The Eocene Amphiperatidae and Cypraeidae ofEngland. Proceedings of the Malacologlcal Society, 18(6): 298-311. Schilder, F.A. 1930. The Gisortiidae ofthe world. Proceedings ofthe Malacologlcal Society, 19(3): 118-138. Sowerby,J.deC. 1850. Notesa.nddescriptionsofnewspecies[Mollusca]. Pp. 163-194,pis. 2-9 In Dixon, P., Thegeologyandfossilsofthe TertiaryandCretaceousformations ofSussex. London. Bulletin ofZoological Nomenclature 59(3) September 2002 175 Vrederiburg, E.W. 1927. A review of the genus Gisortia with description of several species. Paleontologica Indica. 7(3): 1-124. Walls, J.G. 1979. Cowries, Ed. 2. 286 pp. Neptune, New Jersey. Wenz, W. 1941. Gastropoda, vol. 6. Pp. 961-1200, figs. 2788-3416. Bomtraeger, Berlin. Comments on this case are invited for publication (subject to editing) in the Bulletin; they should be sent to the Executive Secretary, I.C.Z.N., c/o The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, U.K. (e-mail: [email protected]). 1. Ovula gisortiam Passy, 1859, Holotype by monotypy (MNHN-LP, Cast no. R62966) from Lutetian (Eocene) ofMont-de-Magny, Gisors (Eure), height: 290mm. 2. Cypraea coombiiSowerby in Dixon, 1850, Lectotype (BMNH, no. 71708a) from Lutetian (Eocene) of Bracklesham (England), height; 165mm.