Country: USA
State/District: MD
County: Calvert
Date (D-M-Y): 21 - 4 - 2001

Photographer: E. M. Barrows

Identifier:
Collector: Martin Meyer
Location: Calvert County
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Keywords: A Ecphora fossil Miocene Epoch mollusc snail
Additional Information:    These fossils are from the Miocene Epoch and are about 10 million years old.

Figure 1.  Ecphora sp.
Figure 2.  The same fossils.
Figure 3.  The same fossils.
Figure 4.  Terry Cirrincione (1935–2003)(Calvert Marine Museum Fossil Club) who wrote the following poem (which might be best understood by fossil hounds who visit Calvert Cliffs, Maryland).

Ecphora

I gazed with soulful eyes across the shore
And hoped to see Ecphora there once more.

That lonely strip of beach with sand and sea
Held in its arms some fossils dear to me.

Now that the cliffs were closed to everyone,
It mattered from dawn to setting sun.

I could no longer walk to search and find
The large Ecphora known to all mankind.

Those massive cliffs held fossils rare and true,
So perfectly preserved; they looked brand new.

I set my eyes upon these ancient snails
And saw their shells complete in true details.

Their colored browns and palish orange and red
That showed their place of rest before they'd shed
The dirt of ages past by wind and sea,
Before the light of day — and then to me.

Within the tumbled mass of rock and sand
Along that tiny strip of beach and land,
I found Ecphora — delicate and small,
Their tiny shapes so perfect — one and all.

Their ornamental ribs of four or more,
Revolving around the body whorls they wore,
And lacey twisting ridges coiling down,
Made them appear in fancy evening gown.

Their apertures were wide and large and round
And then extended down to narrow ground.

Ecphora is the Maryland State's best
Fossil specimen of all the rest.

Terry Cirrincione 1996

I dedicate this page to Terry's memory.

E. M. B.