Brachiopod Fossil

Marine Fossil
Scientific Name: Peniculauris bassi

This brachiopod fossil was found in the Kaibab Formation and is 270 million years old. It was a filter feeder that lived on or buried in the seafloor. Brachiopods look similar to mussels and clams, but are an entirely separate group of animals. The similarity in their appearance is the result of convergent evolution, when two different groups of animals end up resembling each other, because they have similar roles in their environments. Brachiopods are still alive today, but are rarer than they were during the Paleozoic. This specimen was on display at the Yavapai Geology Museum and was mounted on a bracket before it was removed from display in 1991 when the museum was renovated.

3D Brachiopod—Peniculauris bassi
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

_{Brachiopod fossil by National Park Service Geologic Resources Division on Sketchfab}

Alternative Text for the 3D Model

A 3D model. This model shows a block of rock with a fossil clam shell on the surface. The model can be rotated and tilted using a computer interface.

Species: Productus bassi

Collected from the Kaibab Limestone in Grand Canyon National Park. Specimen was formerly on display at the Yavapai Geology Museum

This fossil is in the collections at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Learn about paleontology in the National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/index.htm

Learn more about Grand Canyon National Park’s Centennial: https://www.nps.gov/grca/getinvolved/centennial.htm

Related Links

• NPS—Grand Canyon National Park Centennial
• NPS—Grand Canyon National Park Fossils
• NPS—National Fossil Day
• NPS—Photogrammetry
• NPS—Fossils and Paleontology
• NPS—Geology