| Penion proavitus Temporal range: Paleocene, | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Austrosiphonidae |
| Genus: | Penion |
| Species: | P. proavitus |
| Binomial name | |
| Penion proavitus | |
| Synonyms | |
Penion proavitus is an extinct species of marine snail or whelk, belonging to the true whelk family Austrosiphonidae. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Penion proavitus fossils are the earliest known specimens of Penion siphon whelks. [3] [4] The species was medium-to-large in size. [2] [5]
It is possible that fossils of Penion proavitus represent a stem lineage that was the common ancestor of Penion, Kelletia and Antarctoneptunea , instead of a species of Penion itself. [4]
Fossils of Penion proavitus are found in New Zealand's South Island. [2] The species lived in the seas surrounding Zealandia between 56 and 66 million million years ago (Teurian stage). [3]