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Kōrero: Fossils

Three types of fossil

Image
Three types of fossil

The fossil bone (right) is the right humerus of a turtle from the Chatham Islands. The shell (centre) is a cast made by pouring plaster of Paris into an imprint formed by the shell of the bivalve mollusc Inoceramus galoi found near Kāwhia Harbour. The worm-like impression (top left) is called a trace fossil, as it shows traces left by a worm burrowing through mud.

These fossils are part of the GNS Science National Paleontological Collection.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

GNS Science

by Alastair McLean

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Hamish Campbell, Fossils – What are fossils?, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/9020/three-types-of-fossil (accessed 5 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Hamish Campbell, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009.

Comments

Gina
26 August 2022
I have a large follik of a oyster which was found in the 1950's in Huntly coal mine. I wonder about it's age. It;s about the size of a large mans hand.