The Ecphoras: Iconic Fossils of Eastern North America

In the Miocene and Pliocene fossil shell beds of the eastern United  States, the single most spectacular molluscan species radiation is seen  in the ecphora shells (the Tribe Ecphorini). These bizarrely shaped  gastropods, with their distinctive ribbed shell sculpture, represent a  separate branch of the Subfamily Ocenebridae, Family Muricidae.  Characteristically, these muricid gastropods are heavily ornamented with  spiral ribs and cords and are considered some of the most beautiful and  interesting groups of fossil mollusks found along the Atlantic Coastal  Plain and Floridian Peninsula. The ecphoras are greatly sought after by  fossil collectors.

The ecphora faunas, and their individual  species and subspecies, are illustrated and described in detail, along  with photographs of ecphora-bearing geological units and in-situ  specimens. The authors list the 67 known species and subspecies that are  recognized as valid, arranged by the eight genera and five subgenera  that encompass these taxa.