Gryphaea, known as devil's toenails, is a genus of extinct marine oysters with one large, curved valve and one smaller, flattened valve. It appeared in the Late Triassic, flourished in the Early Jurassic and died out around the Late Jurassic, so its fossils are most common in Jurassic strata of Europe, North America and South America. Cretaceous shells once placed in Gryphaea have been moved to Texigryphaea and Pycnodonte. Growth bands on the shell can record the animal's growth, and in the Andean basins of Argentina and Chile the genus serves as an index fossil.
All properties
- Uses
- Scientific research
- Organism
- Extinct gryphaeid oyster (genus Gryphaea)
- Age
- Late Triassic to Late Jurassic; most common in the Jurassic
Where rockhounds find gryphaea
Classic worldwide localities
- Jurassic strata of Europe, North America and South America
- Andean basins of Argentina and Chile
Common questions
Where is gryphaea found?+
Notable localities include Jurassic strata of Europe, North America and South America; Andean basins of Argentina and Chile.
What is gryphaea used for?+
Gryphaea is used in scientific research.
Find gryphaea on the map
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