Snail from Gosau, Salzburg, Austria
From collection Fossil collection by Lukas Wallentin
Snail from Gosau, Salzburg, Austria
This specimen is a polished longitudinal section of a fossil gastropod from the Gosau Group in Salzburg, Austria. The fossil is characteristic of the genus Trochactaeon, which is prevalent in this region. The section reveals the internal anatomy of the shell, specifically the spiral whorls and the central axis. The shell walls are preserved in a light beige to tan calcitic material, providing a clear outline of the organism's growth stages. The internal chambers, which were once occupied by the living snail, are filled with a dense, dark grey to black sedimentary matrix, creating a high-contrast visual pattern. The specimen has been cut and polished on one side to expose these internal structures, while the edges and unpolished surfaces retain the natural, dark, and slightly weathered appearance of the surrounding rock. The overall shape is elongated and fusiform, tapering towards the apex. This type of preservation and preparation is typical for paleontological specimens from the Santonian-aged deposits of the Northern Limestone Alps.
Trochactaeon sp.
Gastropoda
Cretaceous
85.00 Mio. Jahre
Gosau, Salzburg, Austria
Gosau Formation
Very good
Polished longitudinal section
Gosau
Salzburg, Austria
Direct view of the polished face showing the beige shell structure and dark matrix infill.
Fossil collection
Fossil collection
Fossil collection
Fossil collection
Fossil collection
Fossil collection
Fossil collection
Fossil collection
Fossil collection
Fossil collection