Hoploscaphites Ammonite Pair - South Dakota

This is a gorgeous Hoploscaphities nicolletii ammonite specimen from the Fox Hills Formation of South Dakota. It's been wonderfully prepared from the hard concretion it was found in. The base of the rock has been sawed flat so this piece stands up on it's own without the need for a display stand. Both ammonites are about 1.3" wide.

These 70 million year old ammonites lived when South Dakota was a shallow inland sea. It was found preserved in a concretion that was split open. It then had to be hand prepared to remove the hard rock surrounding it from the shell, a very time consuming task.