UC San Diego

Frequencies of predation on turritelline gastropods by drilling and peeling predators have not changed significantly during the course of the Cenozoic. Rates of drilling in the Cretaceous are lower than Cenozoic rates, but not significantly so. Conversely, rates of peeling and repair in the Late Cretaceous reach or exceed Cenozoic values. Turritelline shell form is not correlated with predation intensity. Turritellines have not evolved during the Cenozoic to build more predation-resistant shells, although behavioural or other non-shell characteristics may have changed over time. Thus, in this group, any "marine revolution' and adaptive response of prey to the evolution of durophagous predators must have occurred prior to the Late Cretaceous. -from Authors