Fossil Ammonite in Matrix

Treasures from the Past

Ammonites are an extinct group of marine animals whose soft body parts were rarely preserved in any detail; however, their coiled shells are often found as fossils.

These spiral shells resembled tightly coiled rams' horns to the ancient Greeks, so they named them, ammonis cornua. In medieval times, ammonites were believed to be petrified snakes, but today scientists know they were free-living marine creatures similar to today's Nautilus.

This particular ammonite, Quenstedtdoceras, lived about 150 million years ago, before it was so exquisitely preserved in deposits near the Volga River in Russia.

Each complete specimen displays beautiful irdiescent colors and rests on a flat-bottomed portion of matrix. Average size is 2" x 2".