Activity

  • Whitney Hise posted a new specimen in the group Group logo of Beach FossilsBeach Fossils from the myFOSSIL app 2 years, 8 months ago

    2 years, 8 months ago
    2 years, 8 months ago

    Whitney Hise has contributed specimen mFeM 105235 to myFOSSIL!

    • A piece of coral with calcite crystals in it

    • It looks like it’s modern and not a fossil

    • coral. And probably a modern day one, so not a fossil.

    • The ability to form a calcium carbonate skeleton represents an evolutionary innovation of major importance that dates back to the onset of the Phanerozoic (ca. 540 Ma) (1). Since that time, multiple groups of marine metazoans became highly efficient reef builders, creating the structural foundation for the richest and most biodiverse ecosystems in the ocean

    • Many marine organisms, including corals, build skeletons from calcium carbonate — in the form of calcite or aragonite. The current composition of seawater favors the formation of aragonite — but soft corals have a specific protein that allows them to form calcite skeletons instead.