Joshua’s Sea Snail Find from Barton Bay
Fossil finder Joshua found this wonderful shell on a recent trip to the Barton Beds at Barton on Sea, in the south of England and sent in his find for identification.
It turns out that the Barton Beds – as they are known – are home to more than 600 species of shells! Fossil hunters flock to the Barton Beds because it’s known to be a rich source of Gastopods, molluscs and sharks’ teeth so visitors are likely to go home with a fossil find or two.
The geology of Barton Bay is from the Bartonian age of the Upper Eocene. This was around 40 million years ago when the area was covered with an inland sea and temperatures higher than they are today. It forms part of the Hampshire Basin and is made up from grey and brownish clay sands that are prone to slippages so fossils regularly surface following rainfall, particularly at the base of the cliffs.
Find out what Rockwatch Ambassador, Michael thinks Joshua has found.
