Natural Curiosities At The Learnary

Over the years, we have been lucky enough to receive donations of beautiful, natural curiosities. These exist at The Learnary to spark curiosity and conversation about the beauty and wonder of the world around us.

In the Summer of 2023, Myriam got curious and began to identify some of these wonders. Here are a few of the smaller items.

We don't know what all of these treasures are. Do you? If you have seen something we have not identified, and you know what it is, please let us know!

Identification of Curious Natural Curiosities

  1. Brain coral
  2. Moon snail shell
  3. Calcium holdfast
  4. Marten mandible (jaw bone)
  5. Rock with orange inclusions
  6. Rusted washer
  7. Bull kelp hold fast (attaches the kelp to the sea floor)
  8. Coral
  9. Coral
  10. Coral
  11. Operculum (snail shell trapdoor)
  12. ?
  13. Sea snail shell
  14. Chiton plate
  15. Juvenile southern quahog shell
  16. Red coral
  17. ?
  18. Piddock shell
  19. ?
  20. ?
  21. Horse tooth (upper front incisor)
  22. Sea snail shell (broken)
  23. Kitten's paw shell
  24. Coral
  25. Coral
  26. Coral
  27. Coral
  28. Coral
  29. Smoothed piece of snail shell
  30. Coral
  31. Seal humerus (upper arm bone)
  32. Sea snail shell (possibly golden dovesnail)
  33. Worn Marginella shell (sea snail)
  34. Coral
  35. Coral
  36. Coral (red spots are holdfast marks)
  37. Cowrie shells (sea snails)
  38. Cowrie shells (sea snails)
  39. Coral
  40. Coral
  41. Spirorbis shell (polychaete worm)
  42. Coral
  43. Coral
  44. Coral
  45. Coral
  46. ?
  47. Large feline teeth (possibly mountain lion)
  48. Coral
  49. Coral
  50. ?
  51. Coral
  52. ?
  53. Mushroom coral
  54. ?
  55. Australian oyster
  56. Sea snail shells
  57. Bee hive snail shells
  58. Coral
  59. Coral
  60. Fossil ammonite 
  61. Predatory sea snail shell
  62. Coral
  63. Red coral
  64. Green abalone shell
  65. Coral
  66. Sea urchin shells
  67. ?
  68. ?
  69. Balcis sea snail shells 
  70. Opercula (snail shell trapdoors)
  71. Sea sponge
  72. ?
  73. Cone snail shell
  74. Red coral
  75. Spotted sea snail shell
  76. ?
  77. Coral
  78. Opercula (snail shell trapdoors)
  79. Cone snail shells
  80. Sea snail shell
  81. ?
  82. Spiral shell
  83. Operculum (snail shell trapdoor)
  84. Sand dollar
  85. ?
  86. Coral
  87. Rock with lichen
  88. Coral
  89. Evidence of unicorns (turritella fossil in rock)
  90. Sea star
  91. Stick
  92. Coral
  93. Scapula (shoulder blade)
  94. Rib
  95. Helmet conch shell
  96. Flat scallop shell
  97. Queen conch shell
  98. ?
  99. ?

200. Pine cone trio

201. Horns

202. Giant pine cone

203.

204. Quartz in stone

205. Pyrite

206. Sand dollar

207. White conch shell

208. Moon snail shell

209. Whale vertebra

210. Antlers

211. Giant clam shell

212. Crinoid stem fossils

213. Rock with calcareous tubes

214. ?

215. Large fossil sea urchin

216. Small fossil sea urchin

217. Quartz rock

218. ? (fossilized jaw bone)

219. Stone tools and chips