Bivalve Fossil - Polished (Madagascar)

From Toliara (Tulear), Madagascar: believed to be from the late Jurassic Period (Oxfordian Age). These bivalve fossils are solidly fused together and have a smooth outer shell in pale cream to darker tan colors. They have been slightly processed to grind the edge where the two halves meet and polish the overall specimen- removing imperfections and creating a completely smooth surface. If you have a preference on exact color shade, please describe in your Order Notes.  Approx.: 2" x 3" weight varies 4oz - 8oz Bivalves are a type of molluscs that are protected by their outer exoskeleton composed of two half-shells joined together at a hinge. They differ from Brachiopods, which have 'top' and 'bottom' shells, in that their shell halves are mirrors of each other. Clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops are all types of bivalve molluscs. While these animals still exist today, fossils are found dating back to the early Cambrian period (over 500 million years ago) at the beginning of the Paleozoic Era - meaning some can be older than Dinosaurs!