Object Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Cardium nuttalli, Cockle Clam Fossil, 1.5-.75 Ma |
Object Name |
Shell, Animal |
Description |
Cardium nuttalli, cockle fossil dating from between 23.03 to 5.333 million years ago commonly found at low tide in littoral (sandy and muddy bottom) or sub-littoral (open bay, muddy marine) zones. Top and bottom valves of this specimen remain connected by an intact ligament. Reddish sediment and shell fragments fill most of the spaces between ribs of the top valve. Space between four ribs are free of sediment. Most of the bottom valve has been lost (except the portion that is adjacent to the ligament), revealing the sediment between the valves. A cross section of the specimen reveals the thickness of each valve. |
Date |
23.03 to 5.333 Ma |
Catalog Number |
2014.009.045 |
Dimensions |
H-2.5 W-4.75 D-4.75 inches |
Collection |
3D - Biology |
Kingdom |
Animalia (Animals) |
Phylum |
Mollusca (Molluscs) |
Class |
Bivalvia (Bivalves) |
Order |
Veneroida (bivalve order) |
Family |
Cardiidae (Cockles) |
Genus |
Cardium |
Species |
nuttalli |
Inscription Text |
none |
Provenance |
Fossils taken from Merced Formation collected at Westborough Boulevard at Highway 280 in the late 1970s or early 1980s. (See Yancey 1978, Fig. 2: Artifacts taken from E Stratified Section/D-5929). Most specimens (especially clams) in this collection are not extinct and can still be found in the Bay Area. |
Notes |
USGS Emeritus paleontologist Charles Powell identified on 4/17/2018. Retired Geologist Ken Lajoie identified on 4/8/2014. Cardium nuttali (Common name: Cockle Shell) are large shells, measuring up to 14 centimeters in length. This species still thrives in the Bay Area. |
Search Terms |
Fossils Shellfish Merced Formation South San Francisco |
Subjects |
Fossils Shells Shellfish Marine biology |
Credit line |
Courtesy of Marilyn & Robert Moore |