Gastropoda is the most numerous class of mollusks. The most ancient species lived on Earth more than 100 million years ago. Mollusks lived in ancient oceans. Most of the shells had a turbo spiral shape, but there were other specimens as well. The variety of shapes did not affect the internal structure, all the shells consisted of several whorls separated by partitions, and a siphon tube. With the help of such a system, the mollusk regulated the depth of immersion. In the front part of the living chamber was the body of a mollusk. The living chamber could occupy from half a convolution to two full convolutions.
There were gastropods of different sizes, depending on the species — from centimeter organisms to meter giants. The gastropods are characterized by torsion, a phenomenon when the inner part of the mollusks turns 180°. Because of this, the coiling of the shell is directed backward, and the edge of the shell grew forward. It is assumed that the torsion occurred during the transition to the benthic lifestyle since the shell directed forward would have been inconvenient. Initially, gastropods lived only in salty seas, but later, many of them transitioned to live in freshwater. Some groups adapted to the conditions of the land and even inhabited deserts and mountain peaks all the way to the permanent snow line.
Some species of gastropods, about 200 in total, disappeared during the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, which had occurred more than 66 million years ago. At the same time, large dinosaurs and flying lizards became extinct — about 20% of all living creatures. It was after this period that the first forms of mammals began to appear.
Mentions of ancient mollusks can be found in legends and stories: for example, one of them says that the gastropods are snakes that the sorceress Hilda turned into stones. The shells of these mollusks were used in their rituals by shamans and sorcerers, jewelers made pendants and necklaces from them, and they served as money on the islands of Oceania.
The shell displayed in this exhibition was found in 1994 on the Ayat River in Taranovskoye village, Kostanay region, Kazakhstan. The remains of the mollusk washed ashore after the flood. Three years later, the shell was donated to the Yershov Museum Complex of Ishim City.
There were gastropods of different sizes, depending on the species — from centimeter organisms to meter giants. The gastropods are characterized by torsion, a phenomenon when the inner part of the mollusks turns 180°. Because of this, the coiling of the shell is directed backward, and the edge of the shell grew forward. It is assumed that the torsion occurred during the transition to the benthic lifestyle since the shell directed forward would have been inconvenient. Initially, gastropods lived only in salty seas, but later, many of them transitioned to live in freshwater. Some groups adapted to the conditions of the land and even inhabited deserts and mountain peaks all the way to the permanent snow line.
Some species of gastropods, about 200 in total, disappeared during the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, which had occurred more than 66 million years ago. At the same time, large dinosaurs and flying lizards became extinct — about 20% of all living creatures. It was after this period that the first forms of mammals began to appear.
Mentions of ancient mollusks can be found in legends and stories: for example, one of them says that the gastropods are snakes that the sorceress Hilda turned into stones. The shells of these mollusks were used in their rituals by shamans and sorcerers, jewelers made pendants and necklaces from them, and they served as money on the islands of Oceania.
The shell displayed in this exhibition was found in 1994 on the Ayat River in Taranovskoye village, Kostanay region, Kazakhstan. The remains of the mollusk washed ashore after the flood. Three years later, the shell was donated to the Yershov Museum Complex of Ishim City.
