New occurrence of the middle Toarcian ``Telodactylites'' eucosmus (LIPPI BONCAMBI, 1947) (Ammonitina) from the NW European realm, and introduction of a new genus

Telodactylites PINNA & LEVI-SETTI, 1971 was, up to now, considered to be a middle Toarcian ammonite genus restricted to the Mediterranean realm. We here document two specimens from the Variabilis Subzone (middle Toarcian) of the Thouars area (western France), interpreted as extreme variants of ``Telodactylites'' eucosmus (LIPPI BONCAMBI, 1947). However, Telodactylites PINNA & LEVI-SETTI, 1971 must be considered a junior synonym of Peronoceras HYATT, 1867 and its recent usage is based on an illegitimate subsequent change of its type species. Anew genus Neotelodactylites is introduced (type species: Peronoceras eucosmum LIPPI BONCAMBI, 1947). The new finds represent firm evidence for the occurrence of Neotelodactylites n. gen. eucosmus in the NW European realm, therefore considerably extending the palaeogeographical distribution of this species and genus.