Dr. Dan KillamSep 29, 2023
Today for #FlatClamFriday Platyceramus cycloides (prev. P. platinus), the biggest, flattest clams that ever lived. During the Cretaceous these meter-wide XXXL pizzas of the sea thrived in in a variety of habitats, particularly at the bottom of the Cretaceous Interior Seaway that covered much of N. America. Exceptional specimens have been found approaching 3 m in size! They hosted vibrant collections of symbiotic fish, bivalves, shrimp and other creatures in their shells! #clamFacts
Show threadjajaSep 29, 2023
@dantheclamman
I showed this to my brother and he inquires:
"Did they live in pebbled areas? Where they could actually dig in? I can't see something like that burrowing in sand, unless its foot is a shovel."
Show threadDr. Dan Killam
@jaimeJ they lived in low-energy muddy areas. There's been a ton of discussion of their mode of life and whether they buried at all, but they likely used their giant flat shape like a snowshoe to rest on the surface of the substrate and avoid being buried in the mud!
Sep 30, 2023 at 2:36pmWeb