fossil

Cowrie Shell Fossil

Cypraea species

Hardness 3.5 on Mohs scale; composed of calcium carbonate (aragonite); exhibits a smooth, glossy exterior and a narrow, toothed aperture.

Identified November 1, 2026More fossil →

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Physical properties

Hardness 3.5 on Mohs scale; composed of calcium carbonate (aragonite); exhibits a smooth, glossy exterior and a narrow, toothed aperture.

Formed through the fossilization of marine gastropod shells in shallow tropical marine sedimentary environments over millions of years.

Used in educational collections, decorative items, and historically as currency or jewelry.

Cowrie shells are among the oldest and most widely used forms of primitive currency in human history.

Found in marine sedimentary rock layers globally; identified by their distinctive egg-like shape and serrated opening.

Probable fossil-bearing rock or mineral concretion

Unidentified carbonate-rich concretion with a possible fossil inclusion

Likely fossil oyster shell

Fossilized bivalve shell; exact species cannot be identified from the image

Crinoid Stem Fossil in Matrix

Phylum Echinodermata, Class Crinoidea

Fossiliferous limestone (likely a crinoidal or shell-fragment limestone)

Bioclastic limestone, composed chiefly of calcite (CaCO₃)

Porous limestone pebble

Calcite-rich limestone (primarily CaCO₃); exact identification is uncertain from the image

Weathered fossil bone fragment (identification uncertain)

Fossilized bone; exact taxon and mineral composition cannot be determined from the image