The Daily Fossil Record

[grandpa]

Just look at the intricate design of this shell - both 2D and 3D!  And from a snail!!

[Bobby Rico]

1 hour ago, grandpa said:

Just look at the intricate design of this shell - both 2D and 3D!  And from a snail!!

Yes I see, I wonder why the intricate patterns ? As you once said ( lost in the TFF missing posts) isn’t life grand. 

[grandpa]

16 minutes ago, Bobby Rico said:

why the intricate patterns ?

Indeed why?  What is the form/function relationship in this intricate pattering?  Life is nothing if not efficient.  Successful evolution counts on minimal energy spent for maximal gain.  Is the design for energy gain (feeding advantage), predator evasiveness, obtaining of prey optimization, habitat adaptation, sexual advantage, etc.?  What is the evolutionary advantage in such aesthetic shell design?  Those snails aren't this creative for our appreciation, I'm sure (mainly because, duh, we weren't even there - extant plants' aesthetic flowering, now that's another chapter in the story of evolution entirely.)

 

Whatever it is, I'm thoroughly enthralled with the intricacy and the variation in the designs of simple snails over geologic history.  Isn't life great!

[Bobby Rico]

17 hours ago, grandpa said:

What is the evolutionary advantage in such aesthetic shell design? 

Very insightful reply to my question, thank you for engaging with my thread. 
 

Among other things patterns/ribbing must add a strength to the shell forum.  
 

cheers Bobby 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Bobby Rico

[Bobby Rico]

I will be ending this subject of the Eocene on Monday,

 

SurculItes errans 

Upper Bracklesham Beds , New Forest. 

[Bobby Rico]

A couple of Juveniles 

Sassia arguta ytenae. 

Upper Bracklesham Beds, Hampshire, England. 

I have say without an clip on macro lens it would be very difficult to get good IDs for tiny fossils. The clip on lens for your phone, are really cheep. This has to be a great investment to your kit.

 

cheers Bobby 

[Bobby Rico]

Cornulina minax

Eocene

 

Upper Bracklesham Beds, Hampshire

 

I believe this is pretty rare find. 

[Bobby Rico]

Conorbis aliger 

 

Upper Bracklesham Beds, Hampshire

 

[Bobby Rico]

Cryptoconus priscus 

 

Upper Bracklesham Beds, Hampshire. 

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

On 8/21/2023 at 10:12 PM, Bobby Rico said:

Bit ugly but I quite like them. Eocene epoch

Xenophora schroeteri
(Gmelin 1791)

 

Upper  Barton Beds. Sg

 

I have a similar shell from the Barton Beds, though I have mine listed as Xenophora agglutinans, and it does look a little different. 

They all have odd dips and patches on the outer whirls and this was where they stuck bits of broken shell from the seabed onto themselves for camouflage. The whirls then grew around the pieces to some degree and fell off after death, leaving the blotches. 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Tidgy's Dad

[Tidgy's Dad]

20 hours ago, grandpa said:

Indeed why?  What is the form/function relationship in this intricate pattering? 

 

8 hours ago, Bobby Rico said:

Among other things patterns/ribbing must add a strength to the shell forum.  

Yes, as I see it, the intricate patterns of gastropods are due to a combination of growth lines, ribbing for added strength and sometimes spines for protection coupled with the natural coil of the snail shell. To our eyes, this often looks very aesthetically pleasing, but to a gastropod? Hmm, I don't think their vision is very good, so I doubt sexual selection plays much of a part?  

Beautiful gastropods, Bobby. 

[Bobby Rico]

24 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Xenophora agglutinas

Thanks Adam I am not great at understand science writings but I think both are the same thing , I don’t know if I have an old name? 

Here is a fantastic website, This collection was found in the early 90s , I am only now ID them. 
 

cheers pal 
 

https://www.dmap.co.uk/fossils/barton/gast/bartgast.htm

 

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Bobby Rico

[Bobby Rico]

21 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Hmm, I don't think their vision is very good, so I doubt sexual selection plays much of a part?  

Especially sea snails 

 

Thanks for commenting on my thread much appreciated.

Edited August 24, 2023 by Bobby Rico

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 minute ago, Bobby Rico said:

Thanks Adam I am not great at understand science writings but I think both are the same thing , I don’t know if I have an old name? 

I identified mine 35 years ago, so it may be me that's got the old name. 

It's also quite likely that more than one species is present and mine does look a bit different to yours. 

Thanks for the link. but it will be the year 3075 before I get to "Adam's Eocene.' 

[Bobby Rico]

1 minute ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

3075 before I get to "Adam's Eocene

We will be in another ice age by then. Anyway It is a cracking website ,
I also have lots of shark teeth but I find it almost impossible to tell the difference between so many species that look just sharp and pointy. 

[Tidgy's Dad]

3 minutes ago, Bobby Rico said:

I also have lots of shark teeth but I find it almost impossible to tell the difference between so many species that look just sharp and pointy. 

Yeah, I have " Sharp, pointy shark tooth," on numerous labels. 

[Bobby Rico]

7 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Yeah, I have " Sharp, pointy shark tooth," on numerous labels

Haha , guess what I found the other day in the back of a drawer, maybe your remember
“ nice fossil disc” 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Bobby Rico

[Tidgy's Dad]

3 minutes ago, Bobby Rico said:

Haha , guess what I found the other day in the back of a drawer, maybe your remember
“ nice fossil disc” 

Yes, those darned corals, wasn't it? 

[Bobby Rico]

Just now, Tidgy's Dad said:

Yes, those darned corals, wasn't it? 

Yes it was I will post a picture tomorrow.  

[Bobby Rico]

Three really nice Clavilithes sp. Juvenile shells. 
I don’t know which species of Clavilithes they are because of been Juvenile Bracklesham Beds
 

Edited August 25, 2023 by Bobby Rico

[Bobby Rico]

A stunning Juvenile. 

Fusinus porrectus family Fasciolariidae

Bartonian, Eocene - Bed E, Middle Barton Beds 

Barton on Sea, Hampshire, England 

[Bobby Rico]

The last one for now from Hampshire

Venericor planicosta family Carditidae

Lutetian, Eocene - Selsey Formation, Bracklesham Beds. 

[Bobby Rico]

Two agatized coral heads from the Withlacoochee River in Clyattville, Georgia. 
 

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Bobby Rico

[Bobby Rico]

The daily fossil record was brought to you today by the letter J.

 

This lovely crab was given to me by a real charming member @David in Japan , who I miss not seeing around TFF. 
Carcinoplax prisca, miyazaki fm, miyazaki, Noegene, 23 myo Japan 

 

[Bobby Rico]

An underrated Bivalves

GRYPHAEA ARCUATA

 

These gnarled oyster shells get their nickname 'Devil's toenails' because they once used to be the actual toenails of the devil himself. I think. Could be wrong. Anyway, their real name is Gryphaea arcuata; they are from the Jurassic and found in Gloucestershire in England.

 

Edited August 31, 2023 by Bobby Rico