fossil
Bivalve Fossil (Shell-bearing Sedimentary Rock)
Class Bivalvia (Phylum Mollusca) within a Calcarenite/Sandstone matrix
Hardness: 3-4 (calcite shells), color: grayish-brown, luster: dull to sub-pearly, texture: clastic and biogenic, features: preserved ribbed shell structures and hinges.
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Physical properties
Hardness: 3-4 (calcite shells), color: grayish-brown, luster: dull to sub-pearly, texture: clastic and biogenic, features: preserved ribbed shell structures and hinges.
Formation & geological history
Formed during the Phanerozoic eon in a shallow marine environment where shells were buried by sediment, eventually lithifying through pressure and mineral cementation.
Uses & applications
Paleontological study, educational specimen, and collectible natural history item.
Geological facts
Bivalves are one of the most successful groups of marine animals and have existed for over 500 million years. This specimen shows a coquina-like cluster where multiple organisms were buried together.
Field identification & locations
Identify by the presence of symmetrical hinged shells (valves) with ribbing patterns embedded in a sandy or silty matrix. Common in sedimentary basins worldwide.
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