noun
- A large, coin-shaped fossil shell of an extinct marine foraminifer, common in limestone deposits from the Eocene epoch.
Usage: geology; paleontology
Examples
- The limestone quarry contained numerous nummulites embedded in the rock.
- Geologists identified the formation as Eocene in age based on the abundance of nummulites.
- Nummulites are often used as index fossils to date sedimentary layers.
- The ancient seabed was rich with nummulites, indicating a warm, shallow marine environment.
- Collectors prize well-preserved nummulites for their distinctive disc-like shape.