Ammonite
- Mesozoic
- Up to 6.5 feet
Cephalopods are an advanced mollusk. Living forms include squids, cuttlefish, ocotopi, and the chambered nautilus. Cephalopods are believed to have once been as common in the oceans as fish are today; yet, the fossil record of cephalopods is limited, since they have no bones, they rarely fossilize.
Ammonites are an exception. These unusual cephalopods had hard shells. When ammonites died and sank to the seafloor, the soft bodies, heads and tentacles quickly decomposed, but their shells had a chance to be buried, replaced by minerals, and preserved.
Baculite
- Late Cretaceous
- Up to 6.7 feet
Over many millions of years, our planet's land masses have changed size and position ,and sea levels have risen and fallen. As a result, the fossil shells of marine cephalopods--or, as paleontologists often affectionately refer to them in general: "squid butts"--can now be found in locations miles away from any large body of water. When early cultures stumbled across these fossil shells, they sometimes misidentified them in fanciful ways. Spiraling shells, like those of ammonites, were often believed to be the horns of dead dragons or demons. Straight-shafted shells, like those of baculites, were thought to be unicorn horns and to possess great magical powers. Early fossil hunters sometimes sold large baculite shells for small fortunes.
From the Dinosaur Walk Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
~ harui
- Mesozoic
- Up to 6.5 feet
Cephalopods are an advanced mollusk. Living forms include squids, cuttlefish, ocotopi, and the chambered nautilus. Cephalopods are believed to have once been as common in the oceans as fish are today; yet, the fossil record of cephalopods is limited, since they have no bones, they rarely fossilize.
Ammonites are an exception. These unusual cephalopods had hard shells. When ammonites died and sank to the seafloor, the soft bodies, heads and tentacles quickly decomposed, but their shells had a chance to be buried, replaced by minerals, and preserved.
Baculite
- Late Cretaceous
- Up to 6.7 feet
Over many millions of years, our planet's land masses have changed size and position ,and sea levels have risen and fallen. As a result, the fossil shells of marine cephalopods--or, as paleontologists often affectionately refer to them in general: "squid butts"--can now be found in locations miles away from any large body of water. When early cultures stumbled across these fossil shells, they sometimes misidentified them in fanciful ways. Spiraling shells, like those of ammonites, were often believed to be the horns of dead dragons or demons. Straight-shafted shells, like those of baculites, were thought to be unicorn horns and to possess great magical powers. Early fossil hunters sometimes sold large baculite shells for small fortunes.
From the Dinosaur Walk Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
~ harui
Category Photography / Still Life
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 1024 x 768px
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