Ammonites

 

AM-on-itz : The common name given to all animals belonging to the extinct order, Ammonoidea.
These were unique invertebrate mollusks related to the present day squid, octopus and nautilus.*

 

Fossils are very often a natural sidetrack for the conchologist, and few are more interesting than the ammonite. These ancient creatures were predatory and many lived in 'schools' or groups. They were quite similar to the present day nautiloids and were found worldwide throughout the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras (Silurian to late Cretaceous periods), or from 438 million years ago up until about 70 million years ago. The numbers of families of Ammonoidea fluctuated at any given time during their reign however they were one of the most successful creatures that ever lived.

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	Promicoceras planicosta. England.
	Pleuroceras costatus. Germany.
	Pleuroceras spinatum, Domerian (Middle Lower Jurassic). Peru.
	Craspedites nodiger. Russia
	Asteroceras sp. Sinemurian (Lower Jurassic)
	Phlyseogrammoceras sp. Toarcian (Lower Jurassic).
	Hildoceras bifrons, Toarcian (End of the Lower Jurassic).

 

 

* "Discovering the Mysterious Ammonites" by Neal L. Larson