Moroccan Ammonite

18inches/46cm widest
Weight
21Kg
Free Post Mainland UK

Description

Fine and large Procheloniceras sp. Ammonite. Unusually Good 3D form, very little distortion through the fossilisation process as can be a feature of large cephalopods from this region.

Condition Report

The centre of the ammonite has been sympathetically worked out. The surface of the ammonite is naturally iron stained. The living chamber is clearly visible, the final mouth aperture has been worked to remove any matrix, making this a free of matrix specimen for an overall attractive display specimen.

Brief Ammonite History

ammonites of enormous proportions are found in the Western Anti Atlas of Morocco, The Peninsula of Tamri, Province of Agadir, has been a good source of fossils, however they are now becoming scarce as the valleys that once yielded large quantities to eager collectors have been deluged by flooding after hydro dam construction in the region. These majestic creatures once abounded in the Jurassic and Cretaceous Oceans of the world, part of the larger group of Ammonoids. The only surviving cephalopod from that era is the Nautili, persisting in the Indian and pacific oceans of today [Ammonites extinction was around 74 mya, pre the great mass extinction of around 65 mya, at the end of the Cretaceous Period which ended the rule of the dinosaurs]. Ammonites, part of the Ammonitida [order], Ammonoidea [sub class], Cephalopoda [class], of marine invertebrates were fascinating and believed to be aggressive creatures, with their extremely large eyes they could easily hunt at night or at great depth where little or no light penetrates the deep oceans. Ammonites are very important Index Fossils, it is often possible to link the sediment layer in which they are found to specific geological time periods. Closet living relatives subclass Coleoidea [octopus, squid, and cuttlefish].

Genus

Procheloniceras sp.

Geological Age

Jurassic to Cretaceous Periods