11" Fossil Squid With Preserved Ink Sack - Posidonia Shale, Germany

Fossil Squid With Preserved Ink Sack - Posidonia Shale, Germany #114215

This is a very rare, 11.0", fossil squid with its ink sack from the Posidonia Shale, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Squid have soft bodies so it is rare that they are fossilized. This specimen is the mantle of the squid. This is the hollow, muscular area above the head that the animal inflates to force water out so it can move. The ink sack is bright black and stands out against the light colored body and dark shale. This is truly a very special specimen that will make a jaw dropping display.

The Posidonia Shale (part of the Sachrang Formation) outcrops near the town of Holzmaden in southern Germany have been commercially quarried for centuries. The quarried shale has been used for such things as tile, table tops, and fireplace hearths. These quarrying operations have also uncovered a vast treasure trove of beautifully preserved, Early Jurassic (~183 million years old) fossils. The lower shale layers have even produced world-class ichthyosaur fossils with preserved skin and soft tissue impressions.

A view of one of the quarries in the Posidonia Shale of southern Germany.

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