29 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

60-million-year-old Snail Fossil Found in southern Turkey

A snail fossil dating to the age of 60 million was found in Mersin’s Toroslar district.

The snail fossil discovered by Süleyman Uygun was examined by Professor Deniz Ayas from Mersin University Faculty of Fisheries. Professor Deniz Ayas said that “that the snail fossil dates back 60 million years”

Snail Fossil, Belonging to the Paleocene Period

“The snail fossil is a rare species and belongs to the Paleocene period from 60 million years ago,” said Professor Deniz Ayas, a faculty member at the Faculty of Fisheries at Mersin University, who studied the snail fossil found in the Arslanköy District of Mersin’s Taurus district.

“A large number of fossils are found in the Taurus Mountains. Anatolia was the bottom of the Tethys sea in ancient times. Anatolia is a region that rose as a result of the African continent hitting Eurasia. For this reason, it is natural to find a large number of marine fossils. This is a snail fossil from the Paleocene period. Since these are limestone skeletons, they can easily be fossilized. We see a lot of fossils in this region, but these are one of the rarer ones,” he said.

snail fossil Paleocene
The 60-million-year-old Paleocene period snail fossil will be exhibited in Mersin University Fisheries Museum. Photo: DHA

Donate to the Museum

Saying that they will exhibit the fossil in the museum, Ayas said, “The Paleocene period is 60 million years ago. We cannot talk about Anatolia in this period. It passes as the base of the Anatolian Tethys Sea. A marine creature fossil from those times. There are many examples, which prove that Anatolia is a seafloor. Mersin is very rich in terms of fossils. People come across these fossils while wandering in nature. It sounds interesting to people and they house it at home. This is not true, because fossils have scientific significance. Museums are an opportunity for fossils to be seen by other people. “I am calling for those who have fossils to donate to the museum” he spoke.

Paleocene Period

The Paleocene period is the geological time period that started 65 million years ago and ended about 55 million years ago. At the end of the Kraetase period, Anatolian began to appear, similar to today.

According to the International Chronostratigraphic Chart; The first time period of the Paleocene Period is Cenozoic Time. Cenozoic Time is the period after the dinosaur extinction period. Before the Cretaceous in a Mesozoic, then the Eocene in Cenozoic.

Source: DHA

Related Articles

Pompeii Reopening Antiquarium

6 February 2021

6 February 2021

The Antiquarium, a permanent museum within the Pompeii Archaeological pact, reopens. Opened in 1873, the Antiquarium was bombed during World...

7,000-Year-Old Animal-Figured Seals Found in Arslantepe, Anatolia’s First City-State

27 August 2024

27 August 2024

Archaeologists working at the Arslantepe Mound (Turkish: Arslantepe Höyük), a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Türkiye’s eastern Malatya province and...

World’s Oldest Customer Complaint “at 3800 Years Old”

4 February 2021

4 February 2021

When we are not satisfied with the product we receive, what almost all of us do is complain about the...

Silver coins found near the ruins of the medieval monastery in Holy island

10 November 2021

10 November 2021

Archaeologists have discovered a silver coin on Lindisfarne, known as Holy Island, in the northeast of England. Dig Ventures is...

A 2,000-year-old Street from the Roman Period has been Discovered in Southeastern Turkey

19 April 2021

19 April 2021

A 2,000-year-old street from the Roman period has been discovered in southeastern Turkey. Excavation to unearth historical street in the...

Researchers may have found 3,000-year-old evidence of Yue (Amputation), one of the five punishments practiced in ancient China

4 May 2022

4 May 2022

According to the South China Morning Post, researchers in China believe a skeleton discovered in a tomb in the country’s...

Mystery of the ‘Deserted Castle’ Unraveled: Austria’s First Roman Bridgehead Fort Discovered

18 April 2025

18 April 2025

Researchers have identified the first confirmed Roman bridgehead fort in Austria, located near Stopfenreuth on the Lower Austrian Danube floodplains....

Construction Workers Discovered Ancient Sarcophagus in Turkey

2 March 2021

2 March 2021

On Monday, reports said that during excavations in the Seyitgazi region of Eskisehir Province in northwestern Turkey, municipal staff unexpectedly...

Peru finds perfectly preserved a wooden figure in the Americas’ largest mud-brick city

29 June 2022

29 June 2022

A perfectly preserved wooden figure has been discovered at the Chan Chan archaeological site, in northern Peru, the Ministry of...

“Human evolution” Migration out of Africa was affected by climate constraints.

25 August 2021

25 August 2021

The story of modern man’s migration from Africa still remains unclear in many aspects. Why did people migrate? Is it...

One Of The Largest And Most Significant Iron Age Hoards Ever Discovered In The UK Has Been Unveiled

26 March 2025

26 March 2025

In a remarkable archaeological breakthrough, the Melsonby Hoard has emerged as one of the most significant Iron Age discoveries in...

8,200-year-old lacquerware found in China

9 July 2021

9 July 2021

Archaeologists in eastern China’s Zhejiang Province have identified two items of lacquerware at the Jingtoushan ruins, the oldest ever found...

Archaeologists may have Found a Viking Age Marketplace in Norway

21 February 2024

21 February 2024

Archaeologists from the University of Stavanger have identified the possible remains of a marketplace from the Viking Age on a...

Habib-i Neccar Mosque, one of the first mosques in Anatolia, was destroyed in the earthquake

12 February 2023

12 February 2023

Antakya Habib-i Neccar Mosque, one of the first mosques built in Anatolia, was destroyed in the earthquake that killed tens...

In the Mediterranean Oldest Hand-Sewn Boat is Preparing for its Next Journey

25 January 2024

25 January 2024

The oldest hand-sewn boat in the Mediterranean was discovered in the Bay of Zambratija near Umag on Croatia’s Istrian peninsula....