Mollusca Collection (page 6)

Lambris chiragra, spider conch
Watercolour of a spider conch by Sarah Stone (c. 1760-1844) from the collection of Sir Ashton Lever

Fossilised naticid gastropods and leaves
Watercolour showing two views of a naticid gastropod and a fossilised leaf encased in a nodule by Sarah Stone (c. 1760-1844) from the collection of Sir Ashton Lever

Achatinella sp. Oahu tree snails

Nostroceras, ammonite

Maorites densicostatus, ammonite
This flat-shelled ammonite dates from the Lower to Middle Campanian of the Upper Cretaceous, Vega Island, Graham Land, Antarctica

Chespecten jeffersonius, scallop
Specimen of the scallop (Chespecten jeffersonius), this shell originated from the Miocene era, some 23-7 million years ago. Maryland, USA

Gloripallium pallium, glory scallop
Detail of shell ribs on the glory scallop shell (Gloripallium pallium)

Hexaplex duplex, African murex
Watercolour of an African murex by Sarah Stone (c. 1760-1844) from the collection of Sir Ashton Lever

Slug
On dandelion stem

Terracotta panels
Detail of terracotta panels in front galleries, showing marine life. Alfred Waterhouse (1830-1905) designed the museum in the 1860s, and it first opened its doors on Easter Monday 1881

Ostracod
Scanning electron microscope image of an ostracod, an arthropod where the body is enclosed in a carapace (x 220)

Spodylus americanus, thorny oyster
Watercolour of a thorny oyster on blue paper by Sarah Stone (c. 1760-1844) from the collection of Sir Ashton Lever

Virgatosphinctes, ammonite
Shown here is an Ammonite fossil recovered from over 5000m above sea-level in the Himalaya region

Ammonite, scaphites nodosus
A Cretaceous ammonite from Badlands, South Dakota, USA. This specimen retains much of its original shell giving it a beautiful pearly lustre

Aviculopecten planoradiatus, bivalve
Fossilised relics of this fan-shaped bivalve. Bivalves are shelled creatures and first appeared in the middle Cambrian, some 520 million years ago, they are still common in todays oceans

Promicroceras planicost, jurassic ammonites
A rock specimen containing many Promicroceras a small shelled Jurassic ammonites. Ammonites are an extinct group of marine fossil cephalopods related to todays Nautilus

Ceratites nodosus, ammonoid
The Ammonoids are an extinct group of marine fossil cephalopods related to todays Nautilus. In this specimen, the shell suture lines are clearly visible

Ammonite internal cast
Shown here is an internal cast of a Jurassic ammonite clearly depicting individually preserved chambers within the coiled shell

Mollusc specimen drawer
The shells in this specimen drawer were collected by Charles Darwin from various localities during the voyage of the HMS Beagle between 1831 and 1836

Stephanoceras humphriesianum, ammonite
This fossil cephalopod originates from the Inferior Oolite, Middle Jurassic rocks near Sherbourne, Dorset dating from about 170 million years ago

Kosmoceras acutistriatum, ammonite
This Jurassic ammonite from Wiltshire, England occurs in a fine-grained shale, but has been severely flattened. However, the original lustre of the shell has been retained

Cenoceras pseudolineatus, nautiloid
A section cut and polished through Jurassic nautiloid from Dorset, UK. Shows the internal chambers filled or partly filled with calcite. Diameter 7cm

Partula affinis, P. otaheitana, French Polynesian tree snail
Plate 29 from Studies on the Genus Partula by Henry Edward Crampton (1916). Found only in French Polynesia this entire genus is on the brink of extinction due to predation from the introduced rosy

Oliva erythrostoma
Plate 31 from Coquilles Univalves Marines by Duclos (1835)

Ammonite marble
Asteroceras (large shells) and Promicroceras (small shells) ammonites, seen here in the polished surface of a specimen of marble originating from the Lower Lias, near Yeovil, Somerset

Fossilised Tellinella rostralis, tellin bivalve
Fossilised specimen of a Tellin bivalve from Ecocene Belgium, 58 million years ago. Bivalves are hinged molluscs which first appeared in the Middle Cambrian some 500 million years ago

Symmetrocapulus, limpet
Fossilised specimen of a limpet found in the Jurassic limestone of Les Moutiers en Cinglais, France. 206-142 million years old

Acroceolites subtenius, belemnites
A fine group of belemnites (Acroceolites subtenius) preserved in soft Jurassic shale from Yorkshire. Longest specimen is 9cm long

Asteroceras and promicroceras, ammonites
A rock specimen containing Asteroceras (large shell) and Promicroceras (small shell) ammonites from the Lower Lias, Marston Magna, near Yeovil, Somerset

Busycon contrarium, lightening whelk
Fossilised specimen of the Pilocene gastropod, originating from Florida, USA, 5 million years ago. The lightening whelk has a long siphonal canal

Freshwater pearls are formed within freshwater mollusc shells. They do not appear as spherical shapes as oyster pearls do and they are less valuable

Nipponites, uncoiled ammonoid
An uncoiled Nipponite ammonoid fossil. Ammonoids are an extinct group of marine fossil cephalopods related to todays Nautilus

Voluta muricina, gastropod
Specimen of the large marine gastropod Voluta muricana. It has a ornate, spiralling shell with a large aperture

Orthoceras, nautiloid
Shown here is Orthoceras, a straight Ordovician nautiloid

Architectonica sp. sundial shell
Fossilised specimen of a sundial shell found in Orciano, Italy

Gastrioceras, goniatite
Gastrioceras, a Carboniferous goniatite. Goniatites were highly mobile creatures similar to octopus and squid, but were protected by a coiled shell divided up into many chambers

Scabrotrigonia thoracica, bivalve
This horny-ribbed bivalve dates from the late Cretaceous period (142 million years ago), they are still common in todays seas and oceans

Typhis pungens, gastropod

Harpagodes wrightii, gastropod
A Jurassic gastropod originating from Gloucestershire, England

Desmoulia conglobata, gastropod
A cross-section of a desmoulia conglobata shell specimen

Dentalium elephatinum
Plate 2, watercolour by Anna Atkins from her 256 original drawings for Lamarcks Genera of shells, 1822-24

Littorina sp. periwinkle
A comparison of various periwinkle specimens (Littorina), held at the Natural History Museum, London

Loligo sp. squid
Specimen of a squid (Loligo sp.)

Bivalve mollusc

Belemnites
Drawing from the manuscripts collection of Mary Anning (1799-1847)

Nautilus pompilus, common nautilus
A seventeenth century carved nautilus shell showing three techniques used by Dutch craftsmen: cameo work, engraving and an opening resembling a helmet cut into the wall of the chamber

Octopus vulgaris, common octopus
Octopus model with Homarus gammarus, European lobster in Origin of Species Gallery at the Natural History Museum, London

Freshwater snails
Specimen jar containing some freshwater snails, held at the Natural History Museum, London

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