Number 1434 in a series of caches where a red telephone box is in close proximity to a post box.
The only rules are that they have to be able to be photographed together, be not more than 100’ apart and the phone boxes have to be red.
This EarthCache takes you to Pinfold Street in Sheffield, indeed just down from the Two iconic telephone boxes and red post box. There is an arched entrance way, this is where you need to be. We are here to look at the limestone that makes up this building, but to be more specific, something in that limestone.
The rock which makes up this building is limestone, which is a sedimenatry rock, formed many millenia ago, in a shallow tropical sea, from the accumulation of shells of dead sea creatures, which gradually accumulated over time. Its is still possible to see evidence of these sea creatures in fossils. What we are looking for here are bivalves, inparticular two different types. Now, you won't immediately spot them, it is not T rex, or some large shell fossil, it is time to look closely at the blocks of stone.
A bivalve is a mollusc which lives within two hinged shells, and they tend ot be filter feeders. Modern examples are oysters, mussels and scallops. Many bivalve fossils are disarticaulated, which means you can only see one shell, as the two shells (each known as valves) tend to seperate after death. This is due to the muscle that opens the hinge between the two valves decomposes and looses its integrity, but at times it is possible to see articulated examples, which means you can see the outline of both valves.
Example of a fossil bivalve, where it is articulated.
Example of a modern day bivalve.
So what types of bivalve can be seen in the fossil form:
Oysters. These tend to have an irregular wavy shape on the exterior of their valves, but their interior tends to be smooth.
Plicatula damoni. These shells had small spines aligned along the shell, so as to anchor themselves to the seabed. The spines can be seen when looked side on, and from above,though you need to look closely to see them, and they are more apparent when the fossil are looked at in cross section (side on). These spines where attached to ridges on the ridge, that allowed them to anchor themselves to the sea floor. These spines were not very long, but they gave enough of anchor point for the shellfish to remain in place.
Camptonectes lamellosus. These valves are smooth, with no spines, but the valves tend to taper at one end, this means that they narrow at one end.
This being an earthcache, in order to log it, I ask that you answer some questions. Please send them to me, and do not include them in your log. You can send them to me by using the message facility or email, both of which can be found by looking at my profile. Alternatively, if you see me at an event, you are welcome to discuss your answers with me.
To find the fossil, you need to stand at the right side of the entrance way, and count up 5 blocks of stone, which is where you will find the fossil.
1. Please describe the bivalve fossil, in terms of shape, and appearance.
2. Using the information from question 1, what speices of bivalve is it?
3. Is the fossil bivalve, articulated, or disarticulated?
4. How long is the bivalve fossil? By this I ask you to measure the length of the valve.
The A Fine Pair series is managed by mattd2k
If anybody would like to place 'A Fine Pair' of their own please do. I would just ask that you first visit www.afinepair.co.uk to request a number to avoid any duplication.
mattd2k also keeps a public Bookmark List of this series. Once your cache is published please contact him via the A Fine Pair website at
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