One tourist’s amazing find at the Kronosaurus Korner museum in Richmond, Australia, Queensland. From that mollusk, they discovered a fossil pearl from a time over 100 million years ago. In 2019, scientists stumbled on a stunning discovery that’s both dazzled and mystified paleontologists and fossil lovers ever since. This finding is the largest fossil pearl of its kind and age ever discovered in Australia.
The fossil pearl, almost two centimeters in diameter, is larger than an average marble. Our specimen rests comfortably inside a partial giant clamshell. This one of a kind experience provides an incredible view into the marine fauna that existed during the Cretaceous period. Gregory Webb, a paleontologist of note, spent the better part of two years authenticating the fossil pearl, corroborating its authenticity. He touched on its importance as a paleontological landmark.
Richmond, in the outback of Queensland, is possibly the best-known of these centers, celebrated for its abundance of fossil deposits. This incredibly diverse region was previously covered by the Eromanga Sea, which stretched from Cape York to northern New South Wales. This rich geological history has turned it into a hotspot for monumental fossil discoveries.
A Unique Fossil Find
The fossil pearl probably came from an Inoceramus bivalve clam, an animal that was abundant and diverse across large areas of the seafloor during the Cretaceous. These gigantic clams might have reached up to 50 centimeters in diameter under today’s outback Australia. In other parts of the world, some specimens grow to over two meters!
Professor Webb also discussed how organic pearls are formed. He said that just like modern clams today, those ancient clams would respond to an irritant within their shell by slowly growing a shell around that irritant for protection. This intensive process simultaneously generated a pearl inside of a clamshell. The shell that pearl forms within is largely composed of calcite, a more stable mineral than aragonite—which today’s natural pearls consist largely of.
It was the stability of calcite that made possible the 70-million-year-old fossil pearl’s preservation. As Professor Webb said, that the pearl is one of the only things that has not changed very much over its long history.
“Maybe a little more than 100 million years old … it is one of the most significant finds for fossil molluscs in Australia for its huge size.” – Professor Gregory Webb
Scientific Significance and Analysis
The fossil pearl’s importance goes deeper than its size. Though sparse, it offers important information about the paleoecology of ancient Australia’s marine ecosystems. Researchers combined advanced imaging techniques with careful layers of analysis to rigorously authenticate the specimen. These non-invasive techniques allow them to study its inner workings without further compromising the structure.
We ran non-invasive, high-energy physics analysis on this complex specimen to study it internally without harming it. In an email, Professor Webb wrote, ‘To our surprise, we have confirmed that it is the pearl’. The complete fossil was indeed confirmed as the rare, scientifically valuable specimen.
Barbara Flewelling, a former long-time volunteer at Kronosaurus Korner, from Novato, Calif., was thrilled by the discovery. “We’ve been volunteering at Kronosaurus Korner for 17 years and this is the first one that we’re aware of,” she remarked.
This find has drawn attention from across Australia, with many eager to learn more about the fossil pearl and its origins.
“Obviously, people from across the country hear something like this traveling through Richmond, they’ll certainly call into the museum,” – Professor Gregory Webb
Display and Future Plans
The Reagan fossil pearl is currently on exhibit at the Kronosaurus Korner museum in Richmond. This is considered one of the best fossil museums in the world, with elaborate marine reptiles such as a Kronosaurus and Ichthyosaurus. To give this extraordinary specimen the attention it deserves and needs, museum officials recently pledged to create a display case just for it.
This find enhances Richmond’s growing reputation as a national paleontological research hub. It brings more tourist dollars to the region. Visitors are invited to walk through the museum and interact with experts to learn more about this outstanding find.
