A sand dollar fossil in the lower Miocene Topanga Canyon Formation. This particular species of fossil sand dollar, like the previous scallop, identifies the age of the formation. As more and more sand was deposited around and above the sand dollar, the sand was packed tightly. Later the actual shell of the sand dollar dissolved to leave a hole where the shell had been. Even though the shell is missing, this mold of the shell is still considered a fossil.
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