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What makes this fossil special?
1.) It is a steinkern.
A steinkern is an internal mold of a fossil.
This means that the inside of the shells were preserved while
the shells themselves eroded away.
2.) The shells were preserved together.
As a bivalve mollusk, more commonly known as clams, the adductor
muscles must contract to keep the shells shut. Thus, usually
when a bivalve dies the muscles relax and the shells open. It
is very common to find one shell alone, however, it is rare when
both shells are together.
Features visible on this fossil:
Beak-This is this most prominent feature. They are the
large protrusions near the hinge of the mollusk. The beak was
used for muscle attachment. A larger beak gives the mollusk's
muscles better leverage and thus makes them stronger and more
efficient.
Ligament- The ligament is the ridge between the two beaks.
The ligament is used for connecting the valves and also holding
them open.
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