ORTHOCERAS - 400 million years old - Morocco
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400 million years old
Rissani, near Erfoud, Morocco
A nice polished example of the fossil Orthoceras with several specimens on one slab.
Orthoceras is a primitive marine animal with a tapering cylindrical shell made up of closely-spaced chambers. It is related to the ammonites. It was common in the seas 400 million years ago and must have been an active swimmer, scavenging on small animals.
Orthoceras became extinct at the end of the Triassic period. The fossils are in black limestone that was originally a mud on the ancient sea floor. The fossils themselves are preserved in white calcite which makes a stunning contrast to the limestone.
400 million years old
Rissani, near Erfoud, Morocco
A nice polished example of the fossil Orthoceras with several specimens on one slab.
Orthoceras is a primitive marine animal with a tapering cylindrical shell made up of closely-spaced chambers. It is related to the ammonites. It was common in the seas 400 million years ago and must have been an active swimmer, scavenging on small animals.
Orthoceras became extinct at the end of the Triassic period. The fossils are in black limestone that was originally a mud on the ancient sea floor. The fossils themselves are preserved in white calcite which makes a stunning contrast to the limestone.
Click on a picture for a larger image
Size: 15 x 9 x 3 centimetres
Weight: 517 grams
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