Glossus humanus (oxheart clam) BIRUG 19022

3D Model

BIRUG 19022 is a non-fossil specimen of Glossus humanus or the ‘oxheart clam’. This species is the only remaining living member of the genus Glossus and is found in soft sediment mostly in deep waters, located around the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas.

The species was originally named ‘Cardium humanum’ by Linnaeus (1758), meaning “human heart” due to its resemblance to a heart shape; however, the species was later found to belong in the genus Glossus. Its current name therefore, incongruously translates to “human tongue”.

This specimen is part of the Lapworth Museum’s Holcroft Collection and was collected in 1879. The specimen was scanned by Sian Miller using an Artec Spider 3D scanner.