#Lima fossil shell

[uk-fossils]

Leioceras Ammonite & Lima gigantea Bivalve Fossil Block – Jurassic Coast, Burton Bradstock, Dorset – Inferior Oolite – Genuine with COA

Leioceras Ammonite & Lima gigantea Bivalve Fossil – A Unique Jurassic Pair

This rare fossil block contains both a beautifully preserved Leioceras ammonite and a large Lima gigantea bivalve, both naturally associated within the same matrix. Collected from the iconic Burton Bradstock site on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset, UK, this piece represents an exceptional snapshot of Jurassic marine life.

Fossil & Geological Information:

Ammonite Genus: Leioceras

Family: Leioceratidae

Superfamily: Hildoceratoidea

Order: Ammonitida

Morphological Features: Smooth, involute shell with faint ribbing, rounded venter

Notable: Commonly used as an index fossil for the Middle Jurassic; streamlined shape suggests active nektonic life

Bivalve Species: Lima gigantea

Family: Limidae (File Clams)

Morphology: Large, strongly ribbed shell with radial ornamentation; known for living partially buried in soft sediment with a large muscular foot

Ecology: Epifaunal and filter-feeding organism

Geological Formation: Inferior Oolite

Stratigraphy: Middle Jurassic, Bajocian Stage (~170–168 million years ago)

Location: Burton Bradstock, Dorset, UK (Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Depositional Environment: Shallow, warm epicontinental sea with high biodiversity and carbonate sedimentation

Biozone (Inferred): Leioceras opalinum Zone, a key ammonite biozone of the Bajocian Stage

Specimen Details:

Block Size: Please see scale cube (1cm) in the photo for accurate dimensions

Discovery Date: 17 January 2025

Collected By: Alister and Alison, UKGE Team

Preparation: Professionally cleaned, consolidated and treated by Alison for optimal preservation

Photograph: What you see is what you get – actual specimen shown

Authenticity: Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from UKGE

Scientific and Collector Relevance:

This fossil block not only features two distinct and well-known Jurassic marine taxa, but it also serves as a mini-ecosystem representation of life in the Bajocian seas. Such natural combinations are uncommon and highly prized by collectors, educators, and palaeontology enthusiasts.

Perfect For:

Fossil collectors, museum-quality displays, educational settings, or as a unique natural history gift. A wonderful opportunity to own a dual fossil specimen from one of the UK’s most fossiliferous formations.

[alphynix]

Panochthus tuberculatus was a large glyptodont – a group of giant heavily-armored armadillos – that lived in central and southern South America during the late Pleistocene, about 800,000-12,000 years ago.

Around 3.5m long (~11.5') and 1.5m tall (~5'), it was similar in size to a modern rhino (or a small car), and its large domed "shell" made up of numerous small bony osteoderms made it resemble a mammalian tortoise. Its skull was short and deep, with ever-growing grinding teeth and downwards-flaring cheekbones that anchored powerful jaw muscles. A preserved hyoid apparatus indicates that Panochthus also had a more flexible tongue than some other glyptodonts.

The base of its tail was segmented into rings that allowed it to flex, while the end of the tail was fused into a solid bony tube that was probably studded with large keratinous knobs or spikes.

While these sort of tail weapons in glyptodonts have been proposed as being anti-predator defenses, biomechanical studies suggest they required precise aiming to be most effective and weren't well-suited to fending off fast-moving attackers. Instead they may have been more specialized for fighting each other in ritualized forms of combat – an idea supported by injuries in fossil carapaces that appear to have been caused by blows from opponents' tail clubs.

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NixIllustration.com | Tumblr | Patreon

References:

Blanco, R. Ernesto, Washington W. Jones, and Andrés Rinderknecht. "The sweet spot of a biological hammer: the centre of percussion of glyptodont (Mammalia: Xenarthra) tail clubs" Proc. R. Soc. B. 276 (2009): 3971–3978. https://www.academia.edu/download/71293979/The_sweet_spot_of_a_biological_hammer_th20211004-20926-1xg5uwp.pdf

Luna, Carlos A., et al. "Memories of the blows: severe soft-tissue injuries in caudal vertebrae of Panochthus Burmeister (Xenarthra, Glyptodontidae)." Journal of Mammalian Evolution 31.3 (2024): 29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-024-09729-0

Lima, F.C.G., Porpino, K. & Ribeiro, A.M. "Trauma-induced alterations in the exoskeleton of glyptodonts (Cingulata, Xenarthra) associated with fighting behavior." Journal of Mammalian Evolution 32, 9 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-025-09750-x

Wikipedia contributors. “Glyptodont” Wikipedia, 25 May 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyptodont

Wikipedia contributors. “Panochthus” Wikipedia, 02 Jun. 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panochthus

Zamorano, Martín, and Richard A. Fariña. "Changes in form and function of the caudal tubes in Panochthus (Xenarthra; Glyptodontidae) along the Pleistocene." Historical Biology 34.12 (2022): 2265-2272. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357020158_Changes_in_form_and_function_of_the_caudal_tubes_in_Panochthus_Xenarthra_Glyptodontidae_along_the_Pleistocene

Zamorano, Martín, et al. "Hyoid apparatus of Panochthus sp. (Xenarthra; Glyptodontidae) from the Late Pleistocene of the Pampean Region (Argentina). Comparative description and muscle reconstruction." (2018). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen 288.2 (2018): 205–219. https://ri.conicet.gov.ar/bitstream/handle/11336/97007/CONICET_Digital_Nro.bcac99f6-b327-435a-bca7-137dfd6af700_D.pdf?sequence=5

[sciencespies]

10 Mummified Crocodiles Emerge From an Egyptian Tomb

https://sciencespies.com/news/10-mummified-crocodiles-emerge-from-an-egyptian-tomb/

10 Mummified Crocodiles Emerge From an Egyptian Tomb

Found beneath an ancient dump, the mummies shed light on ancient Egyptian mummification practices and the many lives of a necropolis.

At first glance, you may think you’re looking at a picture of living crocodiles moving stealthily through mud. But the animals above are mummies, possibly dead for more than 2,500 years and preserved in a ritual that likely honored Sobek, a fertility deity worshiped in ancient Egypt.

The mummies were among 10 adult crocodiles, likely from two different species, the remains of which were unearthed recently from a tomb at Qubbat al-Hawa on the west bank of the Nile River. The discovery was detailed in the journal PLoS ONE on Wednesday.

The crocodile has played an important role in Egyptian culture for thousands of years. In addition to being linked to a deity, it was a food source, and parts of the animal, like its fat, were used as medicine to treat body pains, stiffness and even balding.

Mummified animals, including ibises, cats and baboons, are relatively common finds in Egyptian tombs. Other mummified crocodile remains have been dug up, but most have been juveniles or hatchlings; additionally, the ones discovered in this new study were in great shape.

“Most of the time I’m dealing with fragments, with broken things,” said Bea De Cupere, an archaeozoologist at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and a co-author of the study. “To hear you have 10 crocodiles in a tomb. That’s special.”

Uncovering the Past, One Discovery at a Time

Friends on a Mission: Three hobbyists hunting for Bronze Age rock carvings have transformed Norway’s knowledge about prehistoric art.

Animal Mummies: The discovery of 10 mummified crocodiles in an Egyptian tomb shed light on ancient mummification practices and the many lives of a necropolis.

Meet the Neanderthals: Analyzing fossils from a cave in Russia, scientists have identified the first known family of Neanderthals.

Ancient Tomb: In Lima, home to more than 1,000 archaeological sites, the discovery of pre-Columbian graves is just the latest encounter with an omnipresent past.

She was called to the Qubbat al-Hawa site by a research team led by Alejandro Jiménez Serrano, an Egyptologist from the University of Jaén in Spain. In 2018, researchers uncovered seven small tombs under a Byzantine-era rubbish dump. In one of the tombs — sandwiched between the dump site and four human burials believed to be from around 2100 B.C. — were the mummified crocodiles.

Dr. De Cupere studies everything including bones, teeth and shells as well as coprolites, or fossilized feces, and animal prints. “You have archaeologists doing an excavation and, if they find animal remains that they think are worth looking at, that’s when we come into the picture,” Dr. De Cupere said.

The crocodiles emerged from a small tomb under a Byzantine-era rubbish dump. Video by Patricia Mora Riudavets and José Luis Pérez García.

Of the 10 mummified adult crocodile remains found, five were just heads and the other five were in varying states of completion, but one, at over seven feet long, was nearly complete. Often animal and human mummies are found wrapped in linen bandages secured by resin, which means scientists use techniques like CT scans or X-rays to see through the material. The Qubbat al-Hawa crocodiles contained no resin, and the only fragments of linen present had been all but entirely eaten by insects, allowing the researchers to study the mummies at the excavation site.

Based on skull shape and how the bony plates, or scutes, on the animals were arranged, the team hypothesized that the majority of crocodiles in the tomb appeared to be one species, Crocodylus suchus, while others were Crocodylus niloticus. Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist at the American University in Cairo who was not involved in the study, said that gathering this kind of information provided insight into ancient Egyptian understanding of the distinct behaviors of these two species and which the Egyptians would want to interact with, “because niloticus will eat you, whereas with suchus, you can conceivably swim in the same pool and live,” Dr. Ikram said.

A lack of resin also indicated that the crocodiles were probably mummified by being buried in the hot, sandy soil, where they dried out naturally before being entombed, which the researchers proposed happened before the Ptolemaic period, which lasted between 332 B.C. and 30 B.C.

“From the Ptolemaic period onward, they used huge quantities of resin,” Dr. De Cupere said.

The team hypothesized that the crocodile mummies were buried around the fifth century B.C., when animal mummification was increasingly popular in Egypt. But it will take radiocarbon dating to know for sure. The researchers hope that, in the near future, there will be a chance to perform such dating, as well as DNA analysis to verify the two species.

“The discovery of these mummies offers us new insights into ancient Egyptian religion and the treatment of these animals as an offering,” said Dr. Jiménez Serrano.

Dr. Ikram also views these discoveries as an important window into the relationship between people and the Qubbat al-Hawa necropolis, from the first burials over 4,000 years ago to the present day. “Within the community, how were these tombs viewed? What were their uses?” Dr. Ikram said. “You’re seeing how these tombs had after lives and lives.”

#News

[uk-fossils]

Rare Lima gigantea Fossil Bivalve – Middle Lias, Lower Sinemurian, Jurassic, UK | Authentic Specimen

Rare Lima gigantea Fossil Bivalve – Lower Sinemurian Stage, Jurassic Period – Blockley, United Kingdom

This listing features a rare Lima gigantea fossil bivalve from the Lower Sinemurian stage of the Jurassic period, discovered in the Middle Lias Formation at Blockley, United Kingdom. This authentic specimen beautifully displays the ribbed shell structure that characterizes the Lima genus, offering a glimpse into prehistoric marine life.

About Lima gigantea:

Lima gigantea is an extinct species of scallop-like bivalve that thrived in shallow Jurassic seas. Known for its large, fan-shaped shell with distinct radial ribbing, Lima gigantea was a filter feeder that played an important role in the ancient marine ecosystem. Its striking appearance and excellent fossilization make it a prized addition to any fossil collection.

Geological Context:

Formation: Middle Lias

Age: Lower Sinemurian, Jurassic (~199 – 190 million years ago)

Location: Blockley, United Kingdom

The Middle Lias Formation is renowned for its well-preserved marine fossils, including ammonites, belemnites, and bivalves like Lima gigantea. The Lower Sinemurian represents a time of flourishing marine biodiversity, preserved within these ancient sedimentary rocks.

Fossil Details:

100% Genuine Lima gigantea Fossil Bivalve

Age: Lower Sinemurian, Jurassic (~199 – 190 million years ago)

Origin: Blockley, United Kingdom

Beautiful Natural Preservation with Distinct Ribbing

Scale Rule Squares/Cube = 1cm (Please refer to photos for full sizing)

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity

From the prestigious Alice Purnell Collection, one of the world’s largest ammonite and marine fossil collections

Why This Specimen is Special:

Rare Jurassic Bivalve Fossil from the UK

Excellent preservation with detailed ribbing and shell form

Ideal for Collectors, Museums, or Educational Displays

Carefully selected for its scientific and historical significance

A unique addition to any fossil or natural history collection

This Lima gigantea fossil bivalve offers a fascinating glimpse into Earth’s ancient marine ecosystems and is perfect for fossil enthusiasts, educators, and collectors.

📦 Fast & Secure Shipping 🛡️ 100% Authenticity Guaranteed 💎 A Premium Collector’s Fossil Specimen

Don’t miss the opportunity to own this captivating piece of Jurassic marine history!