Plaque of Fossilized Saint-Jacques Shells

Gigantopectens restitutensis—also known as a Saint-Jacques shell—is a species of scallop that lived from approx. 34 million years ago until their extinction approx. 781,000 years ago.

Like today's extant scallops, Gigantopectens was a salt water mollusk that made its living on the sea floor by filtering and eating plankton. These bivalves had relatively large shells, growing to heights over 5 inches (13 cm) and widths topping 6 inches (15 cm). Because of the considerable size and fragility of Gigantopectens fossils, their removal from the surrounding rock matrix represents preparatory work of the highest caliber, with the elegant, almost floral-like specimen offered here being a beautiful example.