Moving between continents one realises the amount of stuff collected over a lifetime. I really need to lighten the load, while I may part with the objects, the memories of many happy hours spent collecting them will remain forever.
These gastropods were collected from the Gánt bauxite mine shortly after it ceased production in the late nineteen eighties. The silty clays of the Forna formation was once a brackish near-shore environment in the Lutetian-Bartonian (middle Eocene), with a unique gastropod fauna that makes it along Barton and the Paris basin one of the key European Eocene localities. Unfortunately most of the mine has since been re-cultivated, and the fossil beds are no longer exposed except for a small preserved section that is now part of a mining museum where no collection is allowed. This is a rare opportunity to obtain a representative sample from this important locality.
Note that collecting was mostly possible from the spoil heaps of the mine where the clay covering the bauxite was removed, finding completely intact specimens was extremely rare, most collected material was damaged to some degree, with apex and aperture usually found broken, even in museum specimens.
This assemblage of 27 gastropods is a collection of the nine key larger species most commonly found at this locality:
1: Cerithium subcorvinum
The largest species found in the Forna formaton, with adults growing to 10-12 cm. Unfortunately aperture invariably found broken, I'm not aware of any complete specimen from Gánt even in museums. Adult, sub-adult and four juveniles. The adult and sub-adult are restored composites,
both made up of parts of two different individuals.
2: Tympanotonus hungaricus
The most common species of the locality,
however invariably found with tip and aperture broken, complete examples are
extremely rare. Three adults and sub-adult.
3: Potamides corrugatus
The second most common species of the
locality, with better preservation than the other Tympanotonus species, these are mostly found complete. Adult, sub-adult and juvenile.
4: Tympanotonus rozlozsniki
Rarest of the four Tympanotonus species,
unique to this locality. Adult.
5: Tympanotonus calcaratus
The
prettiest of the four local Tympanotonus species, again unfortunately
very fragile, even semi-complete specimens are rare, one mostly finds
fragments. Adult and sub-adult, the adult is a restored composite made up of parts of two different individuals.
6: Clavilithes noa
Juveniles very common, but there must have been some predation as sub-adults and adults are very rare. Sub-adult and two juveniles.
7: Cantharus brongniarti
A fairly common species with the best preservation of all, usually found complete. Adult, sub-adult and juvenile
8:
Ampulina perusta
A common species, but rare to find complete larger ones, adults are always in fragments. Sub-adult and two juveniles.
9: Globularia incompleta
One
of the rarer species, even juveniles are very fragile so mostly found
as fragments, complete specimens are rare. Adult and juvenile
10: Bonus - Gypsum crystal from the locality, small ones are commonly found but large (over 3cm) regular ones are quite rare.
Will ship with careful packaging in the display box shown on the photographs.