Description: Moving between continents one realises the amount of stuff collected over a lifetime. I really need to lighten the load, while I may part with the objects, the memories of many happy hours spent collecting them will remain forever. These gastropods were collected from the Gánt bauxite mine shortly after it ceased production in the late nineteen eighties. The silty clays of the Forna formation was once a brackish near-shore environment in the Lutetian-Bartonian (middle Eocene), with a unique gastropod fauna that makes it along Barton and the Paris basin one of the key European Eocene localities. Unfortunately most of the mine has since been re-cultivated, and the fossil beds are no longer exposed except for a small preserved section that is now part of a mining museum where no collection is allowed. This is an unique opportunity to obtain a full sortiment of species from this important locality, including some very rare specimens Note that collecting was mostly possible from the spoil heaps of the mine where the clay covering the bauxite was removed, finding completely intact specimens of the larger species was extremely rare, most collected material was damaged to some degree, with apex and aperture usually found broken, even in museum specimens. This assemblage of 104 gastropods and bivalves is a collection of 44 of the smaller and less common species, including some rarities of which I have only ever found single or a few examples. The smallest ones have been found by sieving the mud infill of collected larger specimens. Please note that my species descriptions may not be 100% accurate, the original publications show some very bad grainy photos, I did my best to ID all, but I may have made some mistakes. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE 1: Faunus fornensis A very rare species, specific to this locality. Incomplete large adult, lower half with aperture missing, and a complete juvenile (the only one I ever found) 2: Melanatria auriculata This is a very rare species, invariably found in fragments. An incomplete adult, aperture broken and tip missing, but still a nice half-complete specimen, one of the best found. 3: Campanile sp. A unique fragmentary specimen, no Campanile species are known from Gánt in the literature. Possibly Campanile defrenatum, a species common at the nearby Dudar locality. 4: Jponsia vulcanica (originally described from the locality as Melanatria vulcanica) A rare species, larger ones invariably found in fragments. The broken tip of a very large adult specimen, plus two complete juveniles. 5: Pyrazus pentagonatus This species was originally described as being pentagonal in cross-section, but at Gánt most specimens are in fact hexagonal. Unfortunately they are mostly found in fragments. Two incomplete adults and a rare complete juvenile. 6: Voluta sp. A another unique fragmentary specimen, possibly an undescribed species. Bottom part missing, but the remaining top part is perfectly preserved. 7: Harrisianella vulcani A rare species, adults mostly found in fragments. A very rare near-complete adult and a juvenile. 8: Bayania melaniaeformis One of the commoner "small fry", showing a large variety of shapes. Six specimens ranging from adult to juvenile. 9: Criptoconus semistriatus One of the rarer species. Large incomplete adult and two complete juveniles 10: Vexillum csakvarense One of the rarer species. Adult and sub-adult. 11: Melanopsis doroghensis A rare species, mostly found in fragments. Adult and juvenile, both incomplete. 12: Deshayesia alpina One of the rarer species. A perfect adult specimen. 13: Pyrazus focillatus A more common smaller species. Six specimens ranging from adult to juvenile. 14: Bayania supravarians Commonest of the small species, but it is a hands and knees job to find them. Five specimens ranging from adult to juvenile. 15: Cythara sp. A rare species, mostly found in fragments, only genus identified (nov. sp. ?) in original literature. Rare complete adult specimen. 16: Cantharus vértesensis A rare species, mostly found by sieving. Adult and sub-adult. 17: Cythara gantensis A very rare species, found by sieving. Adult and juvenile. 18: Nerita pentastoma A very rare species, mostly found by sieving. Adult and juvenile. 19: Ancilla propinqua A very rare species, one of only two found. Adult specimen with some damage. 20: Strombus sp. Juvenile of the known large Strombus species, only genus identified in literature. Single example ever found. 21: Collonia vértesensis Very rare species, found by sieving. Adult and two juveniles. Preservation is so perfect even the pattern of the nacre is preserved. 22: Marginella pannonica Very rare species, found by sieving. Adult, sub-adult and juvenile. 23: Cylichna gántensis Rare species, found by sieving. Adult and juvenile. 24: Cylichna vértesensis Commonest gastropod species in sieving residue. Adult and juvenile. 25: Marginella pseudovulata Rare species, found by sieving. Adult and juvenile. 26: Zebina zitteli A very rare species, found by sieving. Adult specimen. 27: Odostomia semistriata A very rare species, found by sieving. Adult and sub-adult. 28: Asthenotoma graniformis Ultra-rare species, found by sieving. Single example ever found. Adult specimen. 29: Mathilda frequens Rare species, found by sieving. Adult, sub-adult and juvenile. 30: Conus esterházyi Ultra-rare species, found by sieving. Single example ever found. Juvenile specimen. 31: Diastoma roncanum Rare species, found by sieving. Juvenile specimen. 32: Odostoma pannonica Ultra-rare species, found by sieving. Single example ever found. Adult specimen. 33: Strombifirmis haidingeri Very rare species, found by sieving. Adult specimen, one of two ever found. 34: Tympanotonus calcaratus Adults are common, but small juveniles are rare, found by sieving. Larger and smaller juveniles. 35: Turritella rómeri Rare species, mostly found by sieving. Adult specimen. Bivalves make up a small fraction of the mollusc fauna of the Forna clay, most are small, less than one centimeter, usually found by sieving. About 30 species have been described, but I have only ever found the 9 which are presented in this assortment. 36: Phacoides crassulus The commonest of the small bivalves. Six specimens ranging from adult to juvenile. 37: Tivelina pseudopetersi This is one of the more common finds. Five specimens ranging from adult to juvenile. 38: Arca vertesensis The commonest species in sieving residue, interestingly many found examples show predation marks. Six specimens ranging from adult to juvenile, smallest with predation hole. 39: Sphenia hungarica A less common species, found by sieving. Five specimens ranging from adult to juvenile. 40: Trinacria mórensis One of the rarer species, I have only found very few. Two adults. 41: Phacoides haueri Rare species, found by sieving. Adult specimen. 42: Beguina taegeri Ultra-rare species, found by sieving. Single example ever found. Adult specimen. 43: Musculus fornensis Ultra-rare species, found by sieving. Single example ever found. Adult specimen. 44: Pleria triagonata A very thin shelled species, rare to find complete ones in sieving residue. Adult and two sub-adults. Will ship with careful packaging in the display box shown on the photographs.
Price: 49.99 USD
Location: Budapest
End Time: 2024-09-07T20:21:49.000Z
Shipping Cost: 12 USD
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