2.2" Polished Cut Slab Of Fossil Turritella Shells Eocene Age Wyoming Gastropod Shells

Location: Wyoming, United States

Weight: 1.1 Ounces

Dimensions: 2.2 Inches Long, 1.4 Inches Wide, 0.3 Inches Thick

The item pictured is the one you will receive. 

In Wyoming, fossil Turritella shells are chiefly found within the Eocene Green River Formation, most notably in the Wilkins Peak Member, where concentrated layers known as the Turritella beds occur. These fossils belong to the gastropod genus Turritella and are easily identified by their tall, slender, conical shells composed of many tightly coiled whorls.

The large accumulations of these shells in certain horizons indicate intervals of shallow marine or brackish-water conditions, environments that favored thriving populations of filter-feeding snails. Although the Green River Formation represents a predominantly freshwater lake system, the Turritella beds mark episodes of changing salinity within this setting.

Renowned for its exceptional fossil preservation, the Green River Formation records fish, insects, and plants preserved under low-oxygen conditions in ancient lakes. Within this framework, the Turritella beds form a distinct sedimentary facies, reflecting periods of marine influence or altered water chemistry. Examination of the shells—their form, abundance, and stratigraphic distribution—provides important insight into Eocene ecosystems and the environmental shifts that shaped Wyoming millions of years ago.