What is Fossil Brachiopod

Below is a transcription of the above sign found at the Valley of Fire Visitor Center.

Often called “lamp shells” brachiopods are shellfish with a pair of tentacled, armlike structures on either side of the mouth.

They were another of the teeming life forms that once thrived in the warm seas covering the Valley of Fire.

Brachiopods were another ancient life form whose remains are found in Valley of Fire limestone.

Please do not remove any fossils you may discover.

Help us preserve the natural treasures of the Valley of Fire.

Fossils are used by scientists to date the age of geologic formations.

The exhibit behind this table illustrates how these creatures looked in their ancient marine habitat.

Category: Sedimentary

Time Period: Paleolithic Era

Composition: Animal Shells

Location: Muddy Mountains