Description
- Cut & Polished Ammonite Pairs
- Species: Desmoceras sp or Cleoiceros sp
- Age: Cretaceous, 100 Million Years Old
- Source: Madagascar
- Size: Approx 70mm
- Exact item pictured
Ammonites are probably the most recognisable fossils, known by many they are usually one of the first acquired when starting a collection due to their availability. Their familiar spiral shape shell is incredibly iconic and whilst it appears similar to a snail shell, these animals were not that closely related to snails. They were marine animals, present between 240 – 65 million years ago, that had a coiled segmented shell similar to what we see in the present day nautilus. Ammonites are molluscs that are most closely related to living Cephalopods, i.e. octopus, squid, and cuttlefish.
Madagascar is well known as a source for beautifully preserved ammonite fossils, the majority of which date back to the Cretaceous period. These marine cephalopods swam in the ancient Tethys Ocean, where they varied in size from a coin up to the size of a dustbin lid. Madagascan ammonites are highly sought after by paleontologists and fossil collectors due to their vibrant colouration and stunning patterns, as well as the way in which they are processed and polished.
These cut Ammonite pairs are carefully polished in order to make the internal chambers more visible. This complex internal shell structure is the result of the animals growth over time. The physical body of the ammonite lives in the chamber nearest the shell entrance, as the animal grows the shell grows and the animal moves forwards and the shell is sectioned off into chambers. These are believed to help with buoyancy when moving up and down in the ocean depths. These pairs are made up of a single ammonite that has been cut down the middle to allow the stunning internal chamber formations of the fossil to be viewed.
