FOSSILS SPECIMEN: GASTROPODA

Fossils are defined as any evidence of prehistoric life. There are two types of fossils: Body Fossils include remains of skeletal bones, shell, carapace, test and teeth. Trace Fossils are clues the organism existed such as foot prints, tracks, burrows and coprolites (fossil dung).

Gastropoda means “stomach foot” and is a class of mollusk that include snails, slugs and limpets. Gastropods have been in the fossil record since the Cambrian Period leaving many fossils in marine sediments all over the world. To see my modern gastropod shell specimen click here and to see my toy/model mollusk click here.

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Mollusca – Class: Gastropoda “stomach foot”

(snails, slugs and limpets)

Cambrian to Holocene

Paleozoic Snails

Cambrian to Permian Periods 541-251 million years ago

Snail Amphiscapha subrugosa

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Snail Solensicus typicus

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Snail Soleniscus primigenius

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Snail Trepospira illinoisensis

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Snail Trepospira illinoisensis

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Snail Meekospira and Solensicus

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas

Snail Ephemites carbonarus

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

west Mineral Wells roadcut Palo Pinto County, Texas

Snail Trepospira illinoisensis

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

west Mineral Wells roadcut Palo Pinto County, Texas

Snail Worthenia tabulata

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Snail Bellerophon

Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous)

west Mineral Wells roadcut Palo Pinto County, Texas

Snail Gastropoda

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

west Mineral Wells roadcut Palo Pinto County, Texas

Snail Shanshiella carbonaria

Late Pennsylvanian

Wolf Mtn Shale Gradford Formation Missourian Run Away Bay Lake Bridgeport Wise Co

Mesozoic Snails

Triassic to Cretaceous Period 251-66 million years ago

Gastropod (snail) Fossil Imprint

Mesozoic

North America

Snail Tylostoma

Lower Cretaceous

Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas

Snail Tylostoma tumidum

Lower Cretaceous

Kerrville, Texas

Snail Tylostoma

Lower Cretaceous

Kerrville, Texas

Snail Tylostoma

Lower Cretaceous

West Texas

Snail Turritella

Lower Cretaceous

Kerrville, Texas

Snail Cerithium

Lower Cretaceous

Kerrville, Texas

Snail Moon snail (side view)

Lower Cretaceous

West Texas

Snail Moon snail (top view)

Lower Cretaceous

West Texas

Snail Gyrode

(Internal Cast)

Lower Cretaceous

Kerrville, Texas

Snail Gastropod

(Internal Cast)

Lower Cretaceous

West Texas

Snail Goniophorus Scotti Lambert Plesioturrilites Brazoensis (Romemer)

Cretaceous

Grayson Formation Tarrant Co., Texas, United States

Cenozoic Snails

Paleocene to Holocene 66-0 million years ago

Snail Turritella in Matrix

Cenozoic

North America

Snail Turritella temblorensis

Middle Eocene

Llajas Formation, Simi Valley, California

Fossil Snail Conus diluvianus

Pliocene

St. Mary’s River Maryland, United States

Fossil Snail Conus adversarius

Pleistocene

South Bay, Florida, United States

Fossil Snail Worthenia tebulata

Pitkin Limestone

South of Leslie Arkansas, United States

Fossil Snail Olive Shell

Pleistocene

United States

Snail Vasum horridum

Pliestocene

Florida, United States

Snail Moon Snail Shell

Pliestocene

Camusa Mine Pit Ruskin, Florida, United States