Goniatitic Sutured Goniatite Ammonoid On Bronze 370mm

A natural Goniatite ammonoid which has been treated with an acid preparation giving the fossil a more organic appearance. The chambers clearly distinguished by calcification, Calcite minerals have grown within the shell, this occurs during the fossilisation processes. The Goniatitic zig-zag chamber alignment is also a very interesting feature of this specimen. The Goniatite having warm brown tonal colours to white calcite inclusions of the quartz mineral family. The fossil mounted in this accent presents a pleasing natural sculptural form as well as a scientifically interesting fossil ammonoid specimen.

The natural Goniatites displaying calcification within the chambers which can be seen now the shell has been removed. The Goniatite is a delightful and unique fossil specimen. Sediments of time have created muted colourisation, caused by the absorption of minerals in the fossil limestone bed, this a type of fossil metamorphism, the limestone was once a silty seabed around 380 million years ago, the habitat of the cephalopods, a type of marine mollusc similar in attributes to the modern day Nautilus.

Goniatites are ammonoids, ammonoids are an extinct type of cephalopod. The cephalopod group include modern day octopi, squids and cuttlefish. Cephalopod named from the Greek and so aptly named, loosely translated into English as head-foot. The ammonoids range lasted from the Cambrian period around 500 million years ago up to the Cretaceous period around 65 million years ago. An immense period of time which led to much dimorphism between different genera.