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Description: | Specimen of a fossil bivalve, Unicardium sp., collected from the Cornbrash rocks of Middle to Late Jurassic age from Rushden (?), Northamptonshire (Midland England).
Unicardium is a bivalve seashell (meaning two shells or valves). Cardium means 'of the heart'. The name was probably given to these shells because, when the two joined shells are viewed from the side, they have a heart-like shape. This fossil is a cast of the inside of the shell. Fossils of the outside of shells are more common. If you look closely, you can see that there are no fine lines or decoration on the surface of this fossil, which you would see if this was showing the outside of the shell. Casts like these form when the inside of the shell fills with mud or sand which eventually hardens. When the actual shell around this dissolves away the intenal cast is left behind. Sometimes you can see details of the surface of the inside of the shell such as areas where the muscles were attached.
The specimen was found in Northamptonshire.
It is from the Jurassic period (206 - 144 million years ago) | Publisher: | Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums | Subjects: | Classification: Animalia Invertebrata Bivalvia Mollusca | Temporal: | Jurassic period (206 - 144 million years ago) | Source: | Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums | Identifier: | http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/geofinder/se... | Go to resource |
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