Click here for the 'Seeds of Eaden' seed shop
I recently visited Bracklesham bay, West Sussex with the kids to do a spot of fossil hunting. Its an ideal spot for the family as its so flat we could take the pram along with us too. We weren't expecting to find many fossils but we were surprised by the amount that are just washed up in the sand. One of the most numerous fossils on the beach was the fossilised shell of Venericadia, a marine mollusc that lived 44 million years ago. These fossils are found in the Palaeocene and Eocene strata in Europe, America and Africa.
Venericardia lived in shallow seas on seas beds of sand and silt. This bivalve had a wide, ribbed shell that could grow up to 150 mm. The shell has deep ribs running back to front which are intersected buy shallow groves, which make it look very shell like and similar to modern day clams. In fact these fossils do look incredibly new that is is only the brown colouration and weight that makes it stand out amongst the shells.
Venericardia burrowed into the ground posterior end uppermost and could withstand turbulent waters.There are large hinge teeth on the inside of the molluscs shell which gave them immense strength and protection amongst predators and desiccation.
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Carditoida |
| Superfamily: | Carditoidea |
| Family: | Carditidae |
| Subfamily: | Venericardiinae |
| Genus: | Venericardia |
For related articles click onto:
Acid rain and its effect on wildlife
Archaeopteryx
Can starfish grow back their arms?
Caring for the coral reefs
Causes of acid rain
Coral reefs and the greenhouse effect
Conserving fossil fuels
Energy saving light bulbs
Fossil plants
Fossils: Venericardia
Fossils: Turritella
Famous fossils
Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels: Alternative sources of energy
Fossil hunting at Bracklesham Bay
How are fossils formed?
How many seas are there in the world?
Keystone species
Star Starfish
What is a cuttlefish?
What is a sea anemone?
What is a starfish?
What is a loofah?
What is the greenhouse effect?
What is a sea sponge?
What is a sea cucumber?
What is the difference between a rock and a stone?
What is the difference between an asteroid and a comet?
What is the difference between hibernation and sleep?
What is the difference between a fog and a mist?
What is a fossil?
What is acid rain?
What is fracking?
What is global warming?
What is the greenhouse effect?
What is the Gulf Stream?
Where are fossils found?
No comments:
Post a Comment