Fossil Snail Clusters giftsdads The shell protected Glyptodons from

The shell protected Glyptodons from predators and even members of their own species when they faced off in conspecific duels

The outer surface is polished to reveal the sutures in the shell

The unusual matrix of the Pallasite is formed by the intrusion of molten metal into layers of Olivine

Above: The largest window weighs 1

Fossil Snail Clusters giftsdads The shell protected Glyptodons fromFossils are often the remains of a solitary creature, but sometimes they are dramatic scenes of our entire ecosystem, preserved forever. These mass mortality fossils form when a group of animals is wiped out in a cataclysm, an image of their sudden extinction but also a preservation of how they lived. These specimens are fossil snail clusters, preserving the remains of an Elimia tenera colony, dated to 48 million years ago. Found in the Green River