home   Printer friendly version Add to site
Advanced search
Time & Space Fossil Gallery Famous Flora & Fauna
Careers Resources K-12 Collections PaleoPeople

Molluscs

> Bivalves | Gastropods | Cephalopods | Other Molluscs

See More Images
(115 total)

Buchia acutistriata
Buchia acutistriata
© 1998 Dr. Richard Paselk, Humboldt State University Natural History Museum

Musculinium partumeium
Musculinium partumeium
© 2005 Yale Peabody Museum

Neithea subalpina(?)
Neithea subalpina(?)
© 1999 Tom Maier

What are Molluscs? One of the largest and most diverse groups, the Mollusca includes the easily recognizable clams, slugs, snails, and squid, as well as less familiar animals such as chitons, tusk shells, and monoplacophorans. The extinct ammonites and belemnites are also molluscs. All molluscs possess a mantle, a sheath of tissue formed from the body wall. Most have a shell made of calcium carbonate that is secreted by the mantle. Molluscs can be found on land, as well as in freshwater and marine environments, from tide pools to the deep ocean trenches.

First known fossil occurrence: Cambrian.

Last known fossil occurrence: Quaternary. This group has living relatives.

Cool Molluscs links:

Search for images of Molluscs on Google

help