Fossilized Shell – Brachiopod, Meekella – 541 Million Years Old

Description

Fossilized Shell
This fossilized shell is a Brachiopod, thought to be a Meekella.
It is from the Cambrian Period, 541 Million years ago.
It measures 2.75 inches across, and weighs 112 grams, or 3.97 ounces.  It was found it northern Arkansas.
According to Kansas Geological Survey:
Brachiopods
—Brachiopods (fig. 5) are marine animals that secrete a shell consisting of two parts called valves. They have an extensive fossil record, beginning in the early part of the Cambrian Period, about 541 million years ago, and their descendants live in today’s oceans.
Figure 5
–Brachiopods commonly found in Kansas rocks.