Eocene gastropods of the New Forest, UK

Abstract

Gastropods expanded into niches vacated by both terrestrial and marine organisms following the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, to become one of the dominant mollusc groups of the Cenozoic. The Selsey Formation of Eocene age was deposited within a shallow marine embayment across the Hampshire Basin (southern England) and contains a particularly diverse gastropod assemblage, forming the surface geology across the northern part of the New Forest National Park. Here, I use closely related gastropod species alive in the seas today to offer insights into the lifestyles and habitats of extinct Eocene species. By integrating this with other geological evidence, including gastropod preservation and other associated fossils, I paint a picture of the climate and environment on the New Forest seafloor during the Eocene epoch.