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Maryland State Symbols State Bird - State Butterfly - State Crustacean - State Dog State Flower - State Tree - State Boat - State Folk Dance State Drink - State Sport - State Fossil Shell - State Reptile State Theater - State Cat - State Fish - State Flag Team Sport of Maryland |
Maryland State Fossil Shell Ecphora Gardnerae Gardnerae |
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In 1984 the shell of the Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae, an extinct snail, was named the State fossil shell. The Ecphora inhabited the Chesapeake Bay 5 to 12 million years ago. An Ecphora shell found in St. Mary's County about 1685 was one of the first North American fossils illustrated in European scientific works. This russet-colored fossil shell derives its genus name from the Greek ekphora, meaning "protruding." The more recent species designation of gardnerae is in honor of paleontologist Julia Gardner of the U.S. Geological Survey. The subspecies name is a repetition of the species name, and the name "Wilson" denotes the person who originated the species name. Ecphora were predatory snails that could bore holes through the hard shells of mollusks and other prey to feed on their soft insides using a toothed, ribbonlike appendage known as a radula. At Calvert Cliffs State Park in Calvert County, collecting is allowed along a small section of beach, but is not permitted along the cliffs due to landslide hazard. Although the State Park is rich in many Miocene fossils, it is a poor site for collecting specimens of Ecphora. |
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