3.6" Thamnopora SP Coral Fossil Coral Reef Devonian Age Verde Valley, Arizona

Location: Martin Formation, Verde Valley, Arizona, United States

Weight: 3.1 Ounces  

Dimensions: 3.6 Inches Long, 2.9 Inches Wide, 0.8 Inches Thick 

Devonian Age 380 Million Years Old

The item pictured is the one you will receive.

Thamnopora SP Fossil Coral

Around 410 million years ago, during the Devonian period, corals re-emerged and began building the first large reef systems. These early reefs were bustling underwater communities, primarily formed by stromatoporoids (reef-building sponges that acted as structural pillars), tabulate corals (creating mounds, branches, and organ-like shapes), rugose corals (horn-shaped corals adding vertical complexity), and the ancestors of modern coralline algae (encrusting, colorful algae that helped stabilize the reefs).

By the end of the Devonian, scleractinian, or “stony,” corals appeared for the first time. These corals would eventually dominate modern reefs, thanks to their hard calcium carbonate skeletons.

However, around 350 million years ago, corals vanished from the fossil record. The exact cause is still debated, but evidence points to rapid sea-level changes and a sudden drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide, which likely disrupted reef ecosystems and led to their disappearance.