Anetoceras Ammonite
The details and level of preservation on this ammonite fossil are simply remarkable! With just enough of the surrounding matrix left intact, this piece comes complete with its own built-in display stand. This unique fossil is truly is a natural work of art.
With matrix Measurements: ~9" tall x 5 ½ " wide x 3 ½ " deep
Specimen Measurement: ~ 5 ½ “ tall x 5 ½ ” wide
Location: Hamar Ladhab, Erfoud, Morocco
Time Period: Devonian ~400 MYO
Ammonites are an extinct group of marine animals in the Cephalopoda class. They are invertebrates and are more closely related to coleoids (squids, octopus, and cuttlefish) than they were to the chambered nautilus, even though they looked much more similar to the later.
The name Ammonite was derived from "ammonis cornua," translated to mean Horns of Ammon. Ammon was an Egyptian god that was typically depicted wearing ram horns, whose spiraled shape is similar to that of an Ammonite.
Ammonites first appeared in the oceans during the Devonian Period, some 400 million years ago. They died out around 65.5 million years ago along with the dinosaurs.
Unlike more commonly structured (homomorphs) Ammonites, Heteromorph Ammonites had uncoiled shells. This body shape made them very poor swimmers. They most likely drifted along in the seas, feeding on plankton, or crawled along the seabed, feeding on slower prey.
Heteromorph Ammonites have been found worldwide, but are still more rare in comparison with many other species in the ammonite families.