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The Mollusca of the Banjaard

The Mollusca of the Banjaard

This is an inventory of all the different bivalve and gastropod species I found on the beach of the Banjaard, in Zeeland (Netherlands). This beach is very rich in fossil seashells, especially in Eemian-aged ones (120'000 years old). But there are also quite a handful of shells from other layers (late Pleistocene, Pliocene, sometimes up to the Eocene) that are found here, creating a great diversity of finds. 

 

I'm trying to represent ALL the species I found there, which is why I also included pictures of broken specimens (if I don't have any complete specimens yet). If at some point I find a complete specimen of a species that I at first only had an incomplete one of, I will update the album by adding the more complete specimen. The goal of this album is to first of all show off the Banjaard's great array of shell species, but also to serve as an ID guide for people that have found their own fossil shells on the Banjaard or other beaches of Zeeland. 

 

When googling some of the species, you might notice that some of them "need updating" as they have been moved to a new genus. The truth is, paleontologists love to constantly move species around. This is why I use the names of one source for the species: the book "De fossiele schelpen van de Nederlandse Kust" by P. W. Moerdijk, A. W. Janssen, et al. , which is imo the most relevant source for fossil shells of the Dutch coast. I always include the WoRMS (World Register of Marine Species) synonym in the description of each photo if it's different to the name I use. You may use whatever names you like, it's all a matter of opinion in the end. 

 

I include two extra lines of info in the comments:

  • Status: how the species is nowadays (extinct, locally extinct, or still locally alive) (--> when 'still locally alive', take into account that if your shell is of that species it could be modern, so look closely!)
  • Fossil occurence: how common the fossil specimens are (from most to least) (take in mind that this is based on my experience, so it is kinda biast!):
    • Abundant: the species is very common, it's almost impossible to go on the Banjaard without seeing plenty
    • Common: the species is commonly found, you should be able to find a handful with every hunt
    • Rather common: the species can be found a couple times per hunt on average
    • Uncommon: the species occurs from time to time
    • Rare: the species rarely occurs
    • In some cases I might mention the occurence of fragments and complete specimens separately, when relevant

 

If you have any questions regarding a shell I've shown, don't hesitate to send me a PM or to post a comment on the photo. If you are unsure about the ID of a shell you found or need confirmation, either send me a PM or make a topic under the Fossil ID section and tag me like this: @Max-fossils (I recommend the latter ;)). 

 

I hope this album will be useful, or at least interesting for you all to visit!

 

- Max

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FranzBernhard

Posted

Superb work!! Thanks so much for putting these together and supplying such detailed descriptions.

Franz Bernhard

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