‘Extinct’ 30,000-year-old clam discovered!
Recommended for Preparatory Grades
Clams that were thought to be extinct for 30,000 years have been found alive and well in California.
What is a clam?
A clam is a type of a fish with a shell that is fit for human consumption.
An extinct species of clam that was only known from the fossils it left behind is discovered on the coast of the United States.
Key facts!
- The tiny translucent clam is known as Cymatioa cooki.
- It was found hidden in a rocky zone of southern California.
- It was alive and thriving.
- According to marine experts, “It’s not all that common to find alive a species first known from the fossil record.”
- The age of this archaeological site is estimated to be between 28,000 and 36,000 years old.
- It dates back to the late Pleistocene period, which was a time when sea levels reached much further inland than they do today.
- Researchers are trying to figure out where these clams like to live.
- In addition why they were on the coast of the United States.
- Researchers believe that these “living fossils” have just recently returned to their region.
- They could have been transported northward as larvae during the marine heat waves that occurred between 2014 and 2016.
- It’s possible that C.cooki is the most recent fossil to be reanimated.
- But marine experts hope that it’s quite doubtful that it will be the last.
NatGeo Wild takes us into the world of clams.
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