Sedimentary Rock Containing Fossilised Coral
by Vaughan Fleming/science Photo Library
Title
Sedimentary Rock Containing Fossilised Coral
Artist
Vaughan Fleming/science Photo Library
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Close-up of the surface of a polished slab of sedimentary rock containing an unidentified fossil coral. Corals are marine organisms closely related to sea anemones and sea pens. They first appeared at the beginning of the Paleozoic era, some 570 million years ago. They secrete an external skeleton of calcium carbonate, often brightly coloured, which they extract from the surrounding water. Colonies of coral polyps may gradually build up vast reefs of coral, each new inhabitant building on the empty skeletons of its ancestors.
Uploaded
February 18th, 2021
Embed
Share
Comments
There are no comments for Sedimentary Rock Containing Fossilised Coral. Click here to post the first comment.