A Week’s Worth of Chipola Cowries – Day One

I need to take a break from writing lengthy posts for the next few days, as I have a lot of research and reviews to get done this week, so I will be posting 1-2 photos per day (with minimal commentary) all week of cypraeid species in my collection from the early Miocene Chipola Formation of Florida. (Don’t worry; I’ll still try to throw in a few muricid posts along the way, plus the Belmont Stakes is coming up on Saturday!)

First up are the first three cypraeid specimens I ever collected in the Chipola Formation; I’ve included them here primarily for nostalgia’s sake. The specimen on the right is Zoila willcoxi (Dall, 1890),and was collected in October 1992 from a brackish sand facies. I believe that the unusual pattern of tiny holes was caused by a boring sponge.

The two specimens on the left were both collected from a beach facies locality in February 1993. The specimen in the foreground is also Zoila willcoxi, whereas I believe the specimen in the background is probably Siphocypraea chilona (Dall, 1900), though small for that species. As you might imagine, these are two of the more common cypraeid species in the Chipola Formation.

I am also figuring two additional specimens of Zoila willcoxi from the back reef facies (see below). Note the contrast in preservation that one often finds in specimens from the back reef versus other facies. The original color pattern is still visible, and both specimens retain their original luster. Obviously, the majority of specimens that one finds are not as beautiful as these!

I should also add that the sites from which specimens like the ones below are found are all on private property, and trespassing to collect fossil shells is ALWAYS WRONG!!