Description
Rare Artemia salina Fossil Brine Shrimp from the Carboniferous of Scotland
This rare and scientifically fascinating Artemia salina fossil brine shrimp originates from the famous Granton Formation of Granton, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. The fossil dates to the Lower Carboniferous Period, Viséan Stage, approximately 340 million years ago, preserving the delicate remains of a small crustacean that lived in ancient lagoonal waters during the early evolution of complex terrestrial ecosystems.
Fossilised brine shrimp are extremely uncommon due to the fragile nature of their bodies, which rarely survive the fossilisation process. The Granton Formation is therefore a particularly important locality because it has preserved a remarkable assemblage of delicate organisms that lived within restricted aquatic environments.
The fossil displayed in the photographs is the exact specimen you will receive, carefully selected for its preservation and rarity. The specimen includes a Certificate of Authenticity with a lifetime guarantee, confirming it is a genuine fossil.
Please refer to the photographs for full specimen sizing and scale.
About Artemia salina – Ancient Brine Shrimp Crustacean
Artemia salina is a species of brine shrimp belonging to the group of small aquatic crustaceans known as branchiopods. Modern representatives of Artemia are well known today for inhabiting highly saline lakes and lagoons where few other animals can survive.
Taxonomic classification:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Crustacea
- Class: Branchiopoda
- Order: Anostraca
- Family: Artemiidae
- Genus: Artemia
- Species: Artemia salina
These small crustaceans possess elongated segmented bodies, paired appendages used for swimming and feeding, and large compound eyes. They swim upside down in the water column while filtering microscopic organic particles and algae from the surrounding water.
Fossil specimens of Artemia are extremely rare, making them highly valuable for understanding the early evolution of branchiopod crustaceans and the ecological conditions of ancient aquatic environments.
Geological Context – The Granton Formation
The Granton Formation is a Carboniferous sedimentary unit exposed near Edinburgh in Scotland, particularly in the historic coastal locality of Granton. These rocks were deposited during the Viséan Stage of the Lower Carboniferous, a time when Scotland was located near the equator and experienced a warm tropical climate.
The formation represents a restricted lagoonal or brackish-water environment, where calm waters and periodic hypersaline conditions created an ecosystem capable of preserving delicate organisms. Fine-grained sediments accumulated on the lagoon floor, gently burying small aquatic animals and preventing decay.
The Granton fossil assemblage is renowned for preserving a variety of delicate fossils including:
- Small crustaceans such as Artemia
- Fossil fish
- Insects and other arthropods
- Early amphibians
- Plant remains from nearby swamp forests
These deposits provide a rare window into Carboniferous ecosystems that existed alongside the early development of extensive coal-forming forests.
Morphological Features of Artemia Fossils
Brine shrimp possess distinctive anatomical features that allow palaeontologists to recognise fossil specimens even when preservation is limited. The body of Artemia salina is elongated and divided into multiple segments, each bearing delicate appendages used for swimming and feeding.
Typical features visible in fossil specimens may include:
- A slender segmented trunk
- Multiple pairs of leaf-like swimming appendages
- An elongated body adapted for suspension feeding
- A distinct head region with prominent eye placement
These appendages beat rhythmically in living animals to generate water currents that bring microscopic food particles toward the mouth. This feeding strategy allowed Artemia to thrive in nutrient-rich saline waters where competition from other organisms was limited.
The preservation of such delicate structures in Carboniferous sediments is rare and reflects the exceptional fossilisation conditions present in the Granton lagoon environment.
A Genuine Carboniferous Fossil with Certificate of Authenticity
This specimen represents a genuine fossil from one of Scotland’s most scientifically important Carboniferous fossil localities. Fossils from the Granton Formation are prized for their rarity and the insight they provide into ancient aquatic ecosystems.
Key features of this fossil include:
- Genuine Artemia salina fossil brine shrimp
- Rare Carboniferous crustacean fossil
- Geological formation: Granton Formation
- Age: Lower Carboniferous, Viséan Stage
- Locality: Granton, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- Preserved delicate crustacean morphology
- The exact specimen shown in the photographs
- Includes a Certificate of Authenticity with lifetime guarantee
This remarkable fossil preserves the remains of a tiny crustacean that lived more than 340 million years ago, offering a rare glimpse into the small aquatic organisms that inhabited ancient Carboniferous lagoons alongside the earliest coal forest ecosystems.
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