Florida oyster fossils

[Lane7420]

I live in the Apalachicola area of Florida. I love looking for unusual beach finds. On a small stretch of bayside beach I find these old oyster shell parts. I am wondering how old they might be. I think they have to be several million years old because there are so many layers of shell. Can anyone give me more information about them? 
Thank you, 

clane

[grandpa]

Hello Clane, and a warm WELCOME to TFF.  You have found a great forum for someone with interests and questions like yours, and a wonderful group of like-interested welcoming folks.

 

Now to your question.  The layers in the oyster are only added by the oyster while the oyster is alive.  Think of them as similar to tree rings, one layer added per year.  Oysters have a life-span of around 20 yrs on the outside.  As to how old the oysters are, you might be best served by doing a web search on Geological Map of FL.  This will tell you the age of the surface exposure of that portion of the state.  The Apalachicola area of Florida appears to be Pleistocene age.  So the shells you have are likely at the most 10,000 yr. old, but could also be modern. 

 

I hope this helps answer your questions; and again, welcome to the forum.

 

Grandpa