Wallerconcha sarae

Wallerconcha sarae
Wallerconcha sarae holotype
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Order:	Lucinida
Family:	Thyasiridae
Genus:	†Wallerconcha
Species:	†W. sarae
Binomial name
†Wallerconcha sarae (Valentich-Scott and Powell, 2014)

Wallerconcha sarae is an extinct species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Thyasiridae. The species was discovered in 2014 by Paul Valentich-Scott of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and three scientists from the United States Geological Survey, Charles L. Powell, Brian D. Edwards and Thomas D. Lorenson by Arctic Ocean, whilst mapping the sea floor. It was discovered by accident inside a sediment core sample[1][2] extracted more than 1.5 miles (2.5 km) below the surface of the ocean off the coast of northern Alaska, US, in 2010.[3]

Etymology

It is reported that it was named after Sara Powell, the daughter of Charles L. Powell, one of the co-discoverers,[4] who is credited in saying "I want to name new species after all of my children."[5][6]

Gallery

Comparison of adductor muscle scars and pallial lines of left valves of holotypes. A Maorithyas marama, holotype B Wallerconcha sarae, holotype C Spinaxinus sentosus, holotype – Not to scale

References

1. "Ancient creature discovered in the depths of the Arctic Ocean". www.geologypage.com. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
2. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Wallerconcha sarae Valentich-Scott & C. L. Powell, 2014". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
3. "New mollusc group discovered". BBC Earth. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
4. Valentich-Scott, Paul; Powell, Charles; Lorenson, Thomas; Ewards, Brian (10 December 2014). "A new genus and species of Thyasiridae (Mollusca, Bivalvia) from deep-water, Beaufort Sea, northern Alaska". ZooKeys (462): 11–26. Bibcode:2014ZooK..462...11V. doi:10.3897/zookeys.462.6790. PMC 4284429. PMID 25589851. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
5. "Ancient creature discovered in the depths of the Arctic Ocean". Science Daily. Pensoft Publishers. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
6. "Million-year old molluscs Wallerconcha sarae may be ancient survivors". news.com.au. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2017.