ORTHOCERAS POLISHED EGG - Morocco
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Rissani near Erfoud, Morocco
Polished 'egg' of this 400 million year old limestone containing a fossil Orthoceras. A small plastic stand is included (as shown).
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.
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Size: 5 centimetres tall
Weight: 136 grams
