Fossil Finder Database 2022
Inside and out The shell of this specimen has been dissolved away leaving a cast of what was the hollow space inside, now filled with sediment. Compare it with another Pleurotomaria (lower photo) which has been preserved complete with the shell.
Don’t knock it! Liparoceras is one of the most distinctive ammonites from the Lower Jurassic. Notice its wide, flared shell and striking ribbing, complete with nodules that supported spines. This specimen is contained within a limestone nodule from the ‘Green Ammonite Beds’. Despite the attractive name, ammonites from these beds take a great deal of…
Missing body! Amaltheus is an extraordinary ammonite, being extremely flat and discus-like. This example has had the shell removed to reveal the complex suture lines underneath. You can see the chambers between them which are filled with calcite crystal and, towards the end, mud. The ammonite is far from complete; the body chamber (the long…
Mystery markings Here are two unusual examples of the ammonite Lytoceras from the Belemnite Stone Band. Notice they have the occasional large flanges (ridges) on the shell – no-one is quite sure what purpose they serve or why they should be so prominent on this genus of ammonite. But this is one of the great…
This is probably the most common ammonite from the Inferior Oolite, but also one of the best-preserved, especially if cleaned or prepared well. Ammonites are one of the most frequently found fossils. They are extinct marine creatures – predators that moved through the water by jet-propulsion. We know this because the nautilus, the closest living…
Pleurotomaria is a highly ornamented snail, and there are lots of different variations in the shell patterns. Modern examples are just as beautiful and are found in tropical waters today.
Which is which? There are two common types of brachiopod found in Dorset and East Devon. Rhynchonellids have strongly ribbed shells, whereas Terebratulids tend to be smooth and bulbous in form. Compare the two photos to see which is which. There are other forms of brachiopod but they tend to be found in older rocks.
The specimen that describes a species This fossil is a holotype – the specimen on which this species is described. If someone thought that the classification of Pinna sandsfootensis was incorrect, they would start by examining this specimen in Dorchester County Museum. When a new species is described, it is often given a name that reflects…
Identical to a modern day cockle, this type of bivalve shell sat upright in soft sediments secured by a muscular foot which extended from the bottom of the shell, (the left side as photographed). Siphons extended from the top (the right side) that enabled the animal to filter sea water for food. Almost certainly from…