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1.7" Ammonite (Asteroceras) Fossil - Glows When Backlit!
This is a beautifully prepared, 1.7" wide Asteroceras obtusum ammonite fossil from the Lyme Regis region of England. The ammonite has been prepped mostly free from the rock, with a viewing window that has been sculpted from the limestone. Much of the shell is preserved as a translucent, yellow calcite. During preparation the rock has been removed from behind the ammonite so that it can be back-lit with a light source causing it to glow. It comes with an acrylic display stand.
About Ammonites
Ammonites were ancient marine cephalopods, similar to today's squids and octopuses, but with a defining feature: their distinctive, tightly coiled spiral shells. These shells, resembling those of modern nautiluses, served as both a protective home and a buoyancy aid, allowing ammonites to navigate the prehistoric seas with ease. First emerging around 240 million years ago in the Triassic Period, ammonites thrived for over 175 million years, adapting through numerous forms and sizes. As predatory creatures, they likely fed on smaller marine organisms, using their tentacles to capture prey. However, their long reign came to an end 65 million years ago at the close of the Cretaceous, coinciding with the mass extinction event that also eliminated the dinosaurs.
Ammonites were ancient marine cephalopods, similar to today's squids and octopuses, but with a defining feature: their distinctive, tightly coiled spiral shells. These shells, resembling those of modern nautiluses, served as both a protective home and a buoyancy aid, allowing ammonites to navigate the prehistoric seas with ease. First emerging around 240 million years ago in the Triassic Period, ammonites thrived for over 175 million years, adapting through numerous forms and sizes. As predatory creatures, they likely fed on smaller marine organisms, using their tentacles to capture prey. However, their long reign came to an end 65 million years ago at the close of the Cretaceous, coinciding with the mass extinction event that also eliminated the dinosaurs.
SPECIES
Asteroceras obtusum
LOCATION
Black Ven, Charmouth, Lyme Regis, Dorset, England
FORMATION
Lower Lias, Obtusum Zone
SIZE
Ammonite 1.7" wide. Entire specimen 7.7 x 3.4"
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#171258
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