# Snail fossil? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 8, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snail-fossil/675821 "2013-12-08T15:25:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snail-fossil/675821/1 "2013-12-08T15:25:41Z")
My daughter found this cool looking, possible-snail-fossil, near Hondo, Texas (near San Antonio). Imgur link here: [Imgur: The magic of the Internet](http://imgur.com/a/ITY6H) Does anyone think it is indeed a snail, or have any opinions about it? She was just wondering if she could find out more (type, age, etc.). I know absolutely nothing about fossil stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snail-fossil/675821/2 "2013-12-08T17:32:21Z")
Certainly looks possible to me. It could be an endocast, that is, a mold of the shape of the shell formed by sediment contained within the shell after the original shell has disappeared. Here are photos of other [snail fossils from Texas.](http://txfossils.com/TFSnails.html) To find out more, you would have to figure out the exact geological formation where the fossil was discovered. From this [geological map,](http://www.lib.utexas.edu/geo/pics/texas92a.jpg)it looks like the San Antonio area in near the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in Texas. Once you figure out the formation, to actually identify it you might have to refer to a technical publication [like this one]([http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Larger-Invertebrate-Fossils-Navarro-Group-County-Texas-Conchology-Stephenson-PB-/00/s/MTYwMFgxMDg2/$(KGrHqZHJDgE+BBK0kB2BQHE2KyeR!~~60\_35.JPG)](http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Larger-Invertebrate-Fossils-Navarro-Group-County-Texas-Conchology-Stephenson-PB-/00/s/MTYwMFgxMDg2/$(KGrHqZHJDgE+BBK0kB2BQHE2KyeR!~~60_35.JPG)) at a University library, or else take it in to a University Geology Department. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snail-fossil/675821/3 "2013-12-08T18:02:22Z")
Snails are very common fossils. In Minneapolis, I used to collect them on the limestone bluffs of the Mississippi. Each rock I’d pick up was chock full of snails and other marine fossils! ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snail-fossil/675821/4 "2013-12-08T19:51:08Z")
Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.Pu-du-he-pa-as)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snail-fossil/675821/5 "2013-12-09T00:43:24Z")
If your daughter is interested in fossil collecting and geology, you might get her the _Roadside Geology of Texas_– as I recall, it talks about some good fossil-hunting locations. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snail-fossil/675821/6 "2013-12-09T11:50:18Z")
Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![RWise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a5b964/32.png) [@RWise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RWise)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snail-fossil/675821/7 "2014-01-12T22:35:04Z")
Definately a snail, (Gastropods). Go to [www.txfossils.com](http://www.txfossils.com) to see additional examples of snail fossils in Texas. Nice find. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snail-fossil/675821/8 "2014-01-13T00:02:32Z")
Either that is a snail fossil or a uneaten-for-a-rock-hard-reason example of my first-ever batches of cinnamon rolls. Snail gets my vote.