Here, I present a review of the global pre-Pleistocene fresh- to brackishwater fossil record of the gastropod family Lymnaeidae based on a thorough literature survey of over 450 scientific works. I discuss the putative origin of the family, assess diversity development through geological time (based on the fossil records of Europe and North America), and illustrate the family’s geographic distribution over the past 200 Myr using paleogeographic maps. The following section deals with potential dispersal mechanisms to explain the family’s disjunct fossil distribution. A final part is devoted to peculiar cases of morphological evolution toward limpet-like and/or strongly sculptured shells.

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doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30292-3
Zoological Monographs
Staff publications

Neubauer, T. (2023). The Fossil Record of the Lymnaeidae: Revisiting a 200-Myr-Long Story of Success. Zoological Monographs, 7, 147–181. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-30292-3