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Rudist Reefs

About 100 million years ago, during the heyday of the dinosaurs, reefs were built...

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Counting Mountains of Oysters

A longshoreman stands in front of a large pile of oyster shells on waterfront pier...

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Elevator Rudists

These "elevator" rudists, an ancient bivalve, used one long heavy valve to anchor...

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Recliner Rudists

Where ocean currents were strong, ancient rudist “recliners” lay unattached on...

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Rudist Clams

Rudist clams are mollusks that went extinct about 65 million years ago. They were...

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Unearthing History: Mary Anning's Hunt for Prehistoric Ocean Giants

You may not have realized it, but you’ve been acquainted with Mary Anning since...

Long Before Coral, Mollusks Built the Ocean's Reefs

About 100 million years ago, during the heyday of the dinosaurs, reefs were built...

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Carbonate Reef (Cretaceous Period: 145 - 65 Million Years Ago)

This illustration shows the edge of a warm inland sea during the Cretaceous Period,...