Pseudotachea Boettger, 1909 (Gastropoda: Pulmonata, Helicidae) from the Pleistocene of the Valdelsa Basin (central Italy)

Fossil shells of helicid snails were collected in clayey and calcareous lithofacies of the Campiglia dei Foci Synthem, cropping out near Colle Val d'Elsa and San Gimignano of early Middle Pleistocene age. The specimens, consisting of shells and internal casts of shells, are assigned to Pseudotachea. cf splendida (Draparnaud, 1801). Literature records of alleged Pseudotachea species dating back to the Tertiary and Quaternary are discussed: many belong to different taxa, and others require further revision. In conclusion, specimens from the Valdelsa Basin are the most ancient known members of Pseudotachea, and constitute the first record of this genus from Italy; they also provide valuable information about paleoenvironmental conditions where the limestones of the Valdelsa Basin were formed.