Large Scutella Plate Miocene Period (23 Million years old)

Scutella (Sand Dollar) Fossil Plate — Miocene, Bordeaux Region, France

An impressive large fossil plate featuring an abundant natural assemblage of Scutella sand dollars from the Miocene Period, collected from the Bordeaux region of France.

Numerous individual sand dollars are beautifully exposed across the matrix, ranging in size and orientation and creating a remarkably dimensional display. Many retain their distinctive five-petaled ambulacral patterns, while the overlapping and partially embedded specimens reveal how these echinoids accumulated and were preserved within the ancient marine sediments.

The plate’s warm cream and sandy coloration, combined with the repetition of the characteristic flower-like patterns, gives the specimen an almost artistic quality. Its large size and abundance of fossils create considerably more visual presence than a typical individual sand dollar specimen.

Scutella is an extinct genus of echinoid related to modern sand dollars. This substantial plate preserves multiple individuals together, offering both an attractive fossil display and a glimpse into the marine ecosystem that occupied this region of France millions of years ago.

A beautiful combination of natural history, repetition, texture, and sculptural form, making this an exceptional centerpiece for a fossil collection or sophisticated interior display.

Species: Scutella sp.
Age: Miocene Period
Locality: Bordeaux Region, France