Marine fossils on the streets of Amsterdam
Over the last few decades, the city of Amsterdam has renewed the paving stones of many cities with Irish "bluestone". Although the Irish "bluestone" is about ten million years younger that the Belgium "bluestone", it was formed in the same shallow, tropical sea, therefore they share many features. The fossil content of the Irish "bluestone" is very similar to the older Belgium limestone, although the former usually preserves a larger proportion of brachiopods and corals. One of the most characteristic features of the Irish "bluestone" is the ubiquitous presence of Productive brachiopods. These marine shells are relatively large, some of them more than 10 cm long.
Irish "bluestone" with Productida brachiopods
Irish "bluestone" with Productida brachiopods
Longitudinal cross section of a gastropod in a "bluestone"