Note on the preservation of a limpet in living position from the Late Cretaceous, Seymour Island, Antarctica

Although limpets are fairly common in shelly deposits, there are no reports of limpets preserved in the living position from the fossil record. The life style of capped-shaped limpet gastropods almost precludes preservation in a living position. Herbivorous alga-feeding limpets live attached to a fi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Paleontology
Main Author: Zinsmeister, William J.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1990
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022336000018734
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022336000018734
Description
Summary:Although limpets are fairly common in shelly deposits, there are no reports of limpets preserved in the living position from the fossil record. The life style of capped-shaped limpet gastropods almost precludes preservation in a living position. Herbivorous alga-feeding limpets live attached to a firm surface. The surfaces of attachment vary widely from rocky surfaces, shells, or seaweed. Upon death the shells become detached and are incorporated in the nearby sediments or are transported to a site of final deposition.