Dissertation help!

[D.George]

I'm doing a dissertation project on the Wanstum Channel, a historic sea channel in East Kent dividing the Isle of Thanet and Kent. The channel was formed by rising sea levels at the end of the last glacial period however had silted up during the medieval age. My work focuses primarily on the physical geography and the lasting legacy of the channel. However whilst undertaking some borehole work roughly 100m from the River Stour (what remains of the Wantsum Channel) I have uncovered a small shell piece fragment around 2-3mm in diameter. If i could have this fragment identified it would mean I could use the fragment as a proxy for climatic and environmental conditions of the time, which will make a great talking point! 

I'll be able to take further photos tomorrow with rulers to get exact measurements, but any help will be great. Cheers 

[ricardo]

It looks Striarca lactea (Linnaeus, 1758). 

 

Regards

 

 

[Adam86cucv]

@Max-fossils is a bivalve fan on here as well. 

[Max-fossils]

Nice!

As @ricardo mentioned, Striarca lactea seems like a good option, but a picture of the hinge would be useful to confirm that ID. 

Possibly, your shell could be of Pleistocene age (Eemian most likely), making it a fossil; but it could also be modern. 

 

Good luck on your dissertation!

 

Welcome to TFF btw  

[ricardo]

Max, that will be taxodont teeth

[D.George]

First of all, thank you for all your help. 

 

Striarca lactea could be a very good shout, it's spatial range does overlap with my study site. 

 

In regards to it being of the Pleistocene age as far as i'm aware the deposits i found the shell in where Holocene but i'll check my field note book later as this may have been nearer to the Thanet Sand, which would confirm your theory. 

 

Attached are some further photos I managed to take today

[doushantuo]

if you need any stuff on shallow marine stratigraphy and sedimentology ,etc..

i take it you know about the "Database for Holocene Sediment Cores for England"?

And the QPG?

(Quaternary Palaeoenvironments Group)

[D.George]

I didn't, you've really pushed me in the right direction here and I'm finding very relevant papers. Thanks @doushantuo

[doushantuo]

wait,I might not be done yet

 

 

[Max-fossils]

8 hours ago, ricardo said:

Max, that will be taxodont teeth

If it is a Striarca lactea. If it isn't, and it's some other shell instead, it might not have a taxodont dentition. That's why I'm asking for a picture of that, so that we can confirm it is a Striarca, because I'm not completely sure yet. 

 

@D.George a picture of the hinge is a picture that shows the inside of the shell. In your two newest pictures, you've got the umbo photographed. Also, try to leave the shell on a flat surface, don't take the photo when it is on/in your hand or fingers, that way the pictures are better  

[D.George]

@Max-fossils apologies, I do have one photo but it isn’t the clearest. The labs the shell is stored in are closed till the new year so I don’t have any further photos to forward. 

 

This is my first post in such a forum, and I’ve been overwhelmed with the support. Thank you all

[abyssunder]

It may be Striarca lactea.

 

comparative picture from here

[Max-fossils]

12 hours ago, D.George said:

@Max-fossils apologies, I do have one photo but it isn’t the clearest. The labs the shell is stored in are closed till the new year so I don’t have any further photos to forward. 

 

This is my first post in such a forum, and I’ve been overwhelmed with the support. Thank you all

 

Ok, no doubt it's a Striarca. Nice find, I have yet to find one on the Zandmotor! Out of curiosity, were there any other shells nearby?

And yes, this forum is a very supportive and nice place. I was just as overwhelmed by you when I first got here!

[doushantuo]

edited/Mistake

[doushantuo]

 

image from:

Taxonomy of Tropical West African Bivalves

V. Noetiidae
by P . Graham OLIVER and Rudo VON COSEL 

Bull. Mus. nati. Hist, nat., Paris, 4' sér., 14, 1992,section A, n o s 3-4 : 655-691.