Myadora kaiiwiensis is a species of bivalve, a marine mollusc in the family Myochamidae. Fossils of the species date to the Castlecliffian stage (1.63 million years ago) of the Early–Middle Pleistocene in New Zealand, and are only known from fossil deposits from the Wanganui Basin.
Description
In the original description, Powell described the species as follows:
The holotype of the species has a height of , a length of , and a thickness of .
M. kaiiwiensis can be differentiated from modern-day species M. boltoni and M. antipodum due to its smaller size and being less elongated. It has significantly weaker commarginal sculpture when compared to M. antipodum, and while its sculpture resembles M. boltoni, it is more ovate, differently proportioned, and has nearly central beaks and approximately equal ends.
Taxonomy
The species was first described by A. W. B. Powell in 1931. The holotype was collected in January 1931 by Powell from northwest of the Kai Iwi Stream mouth near Kai Iwi in the Whanganui District. It is held in the collections of Auckland War Memorial Museum.
Distribution
This extinct marine species occurs in the early Castlecliffian stage (1.63 million years ago) of the Early–Middle Pleistocene in New Zealand, with some fossils potentially dating back to the Nukumaruan stage (2.40 million years ago). Fossils of the species are only known from the Wanganui Basin of New Zealand, including the Wickham Formation.
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References