Gastropods - Clockwise vs Counter Clockwise

[turtlefoot]

This might be a subject that might have been discussed before.  If it has, I am sorry.  I was looking at a rock that I found that has multiple flat gastropods in the matrix.  I noticed that some spiral clockwise and other spiral counter clockwise.  I have done a little research on this and I am confused.  Some sites talk about the different spiraling depends on whether it was north or south of the equator.  Another site talks about one being a gastropod fossil and the other being a gastropod like fossil.  This is not the case of a fossil and a mirrored imprint.  Do I have two different species here or is it just a variation (similar to color variations on certain herps)? 

[Al Dente]

I think in this case, both spiral the same direction but one is viewed from the top and the other from the bottom.

[Fossildude19]

It could be as Al has said - opposite views of the same species. 

But sinistral (left) and and dextral (right) are known to exist. 

Here is a paper about a recent example.

[minnbuckeye]

Check out Maclurites. It is a gastropod from the Ordovician that spirals "backwards"  compared to Liospira which spiral in a normal direction. Both are very flat gastropods common in Ordovician rock.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mark Kmiecik]

I have to ask -- spiral from the center out or from the outer end in? Is left the same as counterclockwise and right is clockwise?

[turtlefoot]

I appreciate the comments everyone.  I have some reading to do. Thanks!