This virtual collection was last curated by Jaleigh Pier on August 20, 2019. Each model is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Unless otherwise indicated, each model was created by Emily Hauf using specimens at the Paleontological Research Institution, Ithaca, New York.
Predation traces (Praedichnia)
Repair scars
A fossil specimen of the gastropod Conus adversarius from the Plio-Pleistocene of Highlands County, Florida (PRI 53499). This specimen is from the collections of the Paleontological Research Institution. This species of cone snail is remarkable in that it is sinistral: its shell coils to the left. All other cone snails, and most other gastropods, have dextral shells that open on the right-hand side. The cracks on the shell are repair scars (Caedichnus) left behind by crab predators; in each case, the snail survived the attack. The specimen is 82.4 mm in length.
Modern specimen of the whelk snail Busycon carica from Beaufort County, South Carolina (PRI 76867). Note the jagged, high-relief repair scars on the shell that resulted from several encounters with crushing predators. Specimen is from the research collections of the Paleontological Research Institution, Ithaca, New York. Length of shell is approximately 15.5 cm.
Drill holes
Fossil specimen of the bivalve oyster Ostrea coxi from the Plio-Pleistocene of Sarasota County, Florida (PRI 40844). The drill hole in shell was produced by a predatory snail. Specimen is from the collections of the Paleontological Research Institution, Ithaca, New York. Longest dimension of specimen is approximately 6 cm.
Fossil specimen of the bivalve Laevitrigonia ecplecta from the Cretaceous Lopez de Bertodano Formation of Antarctica. The drill hole on the shell was made by a predatory snail. Specimen is from the collections of the Paleontological Research Institution, Ithaca, New York. Length of specimen is approximately 4.5 cm.