Two Jurassic Belemnite Fossils - Germany

Here are two fossil belemnites (Passaloteuthis paxillosus & Youngibelus gigas) from the Jurassic age, Posidonia Shale of Holzmaden, Germany. The Youngibelus gigas belemnite has been partially exposed from the rock, though the Passaloteuthis paxillosus belemnite was prepped free of the shale it was found in and has been mounted to this section of shale. The Passaloteuthis belemnite measures 3.5" long while the Youngibelus is 3.3" long. The Passaloteuthis belemnite has undergone some pyrite replacement.

There is a repaired crack through the mounted belemnite.

Belemnites are probably the most well known extinct cephalopod after the ammonites. They lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and are fairly common fossils found throughout the world. They had a hard, internal, cone-shaped structure that is often preserved as a fossil, though it is not technically a shell. They had ten arms but, unlike modern squid, these arms had small hooks instead of suckers.

SPECIES

Passaloteuthis paxillosus & Youngibelus gigas

AGE

Jurassic (~180 Million Years Ago)