Daonella are typical bivalve molluscs from the Middle Triassic period (247-237 million years). Their thin, flat shells were reinforced with radiating ribs that, beside their circular to sub-triangular shell outline, characterize the species. Daonella lommeli is one of the largest and most widespread species. As it is often found in rocks deposited in the open sea, it is presumed that it lived afloat the water thanks to its thin, wide shell.

The most famous fossil in Val Gardena is definitely the ichthyosaur found on the Secëda mountain. This large marine reptile, around 5 meters long, was the largest predator of its time (241-240 million years ago). As much of its skeleton is missing, it cannot definitely be allocated to a specific genus. Yet it remains a very significant discovery, as it is practically unique in the Early Ladinian period, a time of crisis for these marine reptiles.  

Ammonites were cephalopods, relatives of today's nautilus, octopus and squid. They are extinct now, but used to be among the most common organisms living in the Triassic seas. There are many examples of their fossilised remains, ranging from perfectly 3-dimensional to completely flattened. The rapid morphological changes in many groups make them an important tool in rock dating. Many species in fact only lived for a few thousand years.

This natural asset is part of the tour "Browsing through the rocks of the Secëda mountain".

Along with few other molluscs, the bivalve genus Claraia is among the organisms that best adapted to the critical environmental conditions of the coastal sea waters after the extinction event taking place 252 million years ago. Remains of other organisms are only occasionally found in association with Claraia, showing just how extreme the environment was. It was apparently the only one surviving under these conditions.

This natural asset is part of the tour "Browsing through the rocks of the Secëda mountain".

This fossil fish is unique. Thanks to the microfossils contained in the rock, it could be dated back to the Permian-Triassic extinction event (about 252 million years ago). This was a crucial moment in the Earth's history, when life itself was threatened with extinction. Archaeolepidotus represents the Parasemionotiformes, which were already around in the Late Permian and then underwent extensive development in the Early Triassic. The majority of today's fish originate from this group. 

A footprint in the wet sand that time has turned into today's Val Gardena Sandstone is all that is left of the Pareiasauroidea, a large and stocky primitive reptile that grazed off foliage near rivers and streams. This creature can be regarded as a type of Permian 'cow', even though grass didn't exist at the time - only ferns and other plants, such as the Ortiseia conifer.

Ortiseia leonardii was a large conifer similar to today's Araucaria in South America. It grew along rivers flowing through a semi-dry flood plain, represented today by the red Val Gardena Sandstone rock unit. The best-preserved fossils come from the area around Ortisei, which lends the genus its name. These plants are presumed to have formed small forests that were the habitat of a large number of animals drawn there by the water. 

This natural asset is part of the tour "Browsing through the rocks of the Secëda mountain".