Found fossil sea snail over 240 million years in Nghe An

The Vietnam Museum of Nature recently received the largest form of sea snail fossil, first discovered in the Triassic stratigraphy in Vietnam.

Fossils discovered over 240 million years in Nghe An

The sample was collected by Truong Van Dai , 27, a worker of Hoang Mai quarry , residing in Quynh Loc commune (Hoang Mai town, Nghe An). 7 years ago, when smashing stones at Hoang Mai mine, Dai happened to see a broken stone with the shape and color very similar to the sea snail, but much larger. For this is a strange thing, Mr. Dai brought back to show off to his family and neighbors.

Naticopsis spp., Which is 247.2-242 million years old.

Like Mr. Dai, the surrounding people did not understand the strange stone from where it was and it was gradually forgotten, even when it was sometimes brought to the scaffold. Recently, Mr. Dai brought the story of a rock with the shape and color like sea snail telling friends. They advised him to ask scientists at the Vietnam Museum of Nature ( Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology).

On July 15, the Director of the Vietnam Museum of Nature and the Geological Sciences scientists went on to examine and confirm, this is the fossil of a species of sea snail . This snail species belongs to molluscs (Mollusca), gastropods (Gastropoda), Naticopsidae, Naticopsis.

Shell structure of Naticopsis spp .

The collected fossil was 145 mm high, 130 mm wide, 7 mm thick, confirmed to be in the light gray limestone, corresponding to about 247.2-242 million years ago. The fossil sample is perfectly preserved in the outer structure of the shell, which is of very high scientific significance and qualifies for species classification.

" Currently there is not enough reference material, we temporarily determine the open form (Naticopsis spp.), But there is sufficient basis to confirm that this is the largest species, for the first time. discovered in the strata of the Triassic period in Vietnam, " said Doan Dinh Hung, a master of Nature Museum.

Mr. Hung said, so far, the researchers of the world have discovered fossils of 85 species of sea snails of Naticopsis in sedimentary rocks belonging to the shallow coastal general, continental shelf, in the coral reefs; dating from 449.5 million years (Ordovician period) to 66,043 million years (late Cretaceous) in Australia, South America, Asia, Europe and North America.