Bivalve shell fossil found at roadside works

[Margrand]

Hello,

 

I need help to identify this bivalve shell fossil I found out at a roadside works in Crete.

 

It is 8 cm wide x 11 cm long, but if counting the broken edge part should be originally 13 cm long. 

 

Rgs

 

MG

 

[FranzBernhard]

Welcome to TFF from Austria!

 

Reminds me very much of Panopaea or a closely related genus.

 

It isn´t an actual bivalve shell, its an internal mold of a bivalve (Steinkern).

 

Franz Bernhard

[Thomas.Dodson]

I agree that is looks like Panopea. The "broken part" is actually a mold of the open part of the shell where the large siphon protruded. 

[hemipristis]

2 hours ago, FranzBernhard said:

 

 

Reminds me very much of Panopaea or a closely related genus.

Exactly what I thought

[MikeR]

Panopea aka Geoduck Link

[Margrand]

Hi,

 

@FranzBernhard vielen Dank!

 

So, Panopaea is it. @Thomas.Dodson thank you, on looking it again and checking pictures of present day Geoducks, the shell is not broken but it is the open part.

 

Is there a way to identify the species and is possible age? 

 

Also, how to better care and keep this fossil? 

 

Thank you everyone for any advice :-) 

[Thomas.Dodson]

2 hours ago, Margrand said:

Hi,

 

@FranzBernhard vielen Dank!

 

So, Panopaea is it. @Thomas.Dodson thank you, on looking it again and checking pictures of present day Geoducks, the shell is not broken but it is the open part.

 

Is there a way to identify the species and is possible age? 

 

Also, how to better care and keep this fossil? 

 

Thank you everyone for any advice :-) 

Age is easiest determined by sources of bedrock geology. Panopea is an old cosmopolitan species (I find Panopea occidentalis here in North Dakota) dating back to at least the cretaceous so determining age helps narrow the species down too. This map might help narrow it down.

 

Panopea faujasi seems like a good match. It's reported common from Plio-Pleistocene deposits in Greece. You can read more about it in this taxonomic revision based on Panopeans found in Rhodes.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305037372_Fossil_panopeans_Bivalvia_Hiatellidae_from_Rhodes_Greece

 

It looks like it is pretty solid so I wouldn't worry about the specimen deteriorating. There are ways to stabilize and protect more fragile specimens but if it is as solid as it looks it is probably fine as is.

 

 

 

[Margrand]

Thank you for the academic paper! :-)

 

I have washed it gently with water and mild detergent as explained here Preparing And Cleaning Fossils - Fossil Collectors - Prehistoric Life

 

The fossil was found at Mátala (Crete), on the dirt road to the chapel of Agyo Stephen, around 3 km from the town. The road follows a (dry) river valley parallel to the coast.

 

 

This would make it closer to the Flysch (orange) than to the Pindos (rose) bedrock, according to the map above.

 

How old is the Flysch bedrock?

 

Also, is there a way to fix the fossil on a base (wood or other)? I would like to avoid it bouncing around so abrasion will not destroy the fine shell growth darker lines preserved in it.

 

Rgs.

 

MG