**Originally Listed At $250**

Ancient Seas, Cretaceous to Oligocene, ca. 145.5 to 23 million years ago. This is a fine pair of matrixes containing fossilized shells from prehistoric marine life - sand dollars and tower snail shells. The 2 sand dollars in the first matrix are in the Scutellidae family; excavated so the slightly domed top is exposed. Sand dollars are flat sea urchins that have velvety spines that decay once the creature dies, leaving a smooth surface behind - here, the five-petal patterning on the slightly convex top is wonderfully preserved. The other matrix is a limestone bed of shell fragments containing two large complete fossilized shells in the Turritellidae family, commonly known as tower snails. These shells are largely intact, displaying the cone shaped spire, hence their name from the Latin word, turritus meaning "turreted" or "towered." Size (sand dollar matrix): 5.5" L x 5" W x 3" H (14 cm x 12.7 cm x 7.6 cm); (sand dollar): 2.75" Diameter (7 cm); (snail matrix): 3.8" L x 0.75" W (9.7 cm x 1.9 cm); (large shell): 6.75" L x 3.4" W x 3" H (17.1 cm x 8.6 cm x 7.6 cm)

Provenance: ex-Stein collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA, acquired prior to 2010

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#164104

Loss to tip of both snail shell spires and small perforations on both near chamber opening. Small shell fragments throughout the matrix. Small sand dollar has 2 stable fissures on the shell, but otherwise both sand dollars are intact and excellent.