Mollusk Fossils from Antarctic

One of the world's largest collections of fossilized mollusks from the Antarctic has been donated to the Paleontological Research Institution, a Cornell-affiliated institution. This collection can help shed new light on extinction and climate change as it occurred in the past.


The collection of Cretaceous to Eocene mollusk fossils from Seymour Island, Antarctica, was donated by William J. Zinsmeister, a professor of geology at Purdue University. It is widely recognized as among the largest and finest collections in the world from this region.

Among the most notable fossils in the collection is the heteromorphic ammonite (Diplomoceras), which is related to the living nautilus. One specimen measures about 6 feet in length and resembles a saxophone.

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