Phylum Mollusca, Class Bivalvia

Miocene.  The very first bivalves that we find in the fossil record are tiny, but fully-formed bivalves, complete with two shells, a hinge, a ligament, and adductor muscle scars. Marine bivalve communities are relatively stable. Many species, from as early as the Miocene Epoch survive to the present.
Abstract/Description: Miocene. The very first bivalves that we find in the fossil record are tiny, but fully-formed bivalves, complete with two shells, a hinge, a ligament, and adductor muscle scars. Marine bivalve communities are relatively stable. Many species, from as early as the Miocene Epoch survive to the present.
Subject(s): Virginia, United States
environmental sciences