Brachiopod Fossil

Item Description

A classic and fine quality Brachiopod fossil from a roadcut along Highway 150 in Washington County, Kentucky. Most people look at a brachiopod and think that it's a bivalve mollusk like a clam, oyster or scallop, but this isn't the case. Perhaps the best definition of a Brachiopod is a type of shellfish that is truly not like other types of shellfish. Although they superficially resemble the mollusks that make modern seashells, these animals are not related. The main distinction is that Brachiopods have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve mollusks. With that said, this specimen is a fine, well-preserved example with excellent, distinct preserved features, and only one spot of incomplete preservation / damage on the edge. A wonderful representation of these well-known fossils.