Prehistoric Shell Fossils

Shell fossils represent preserved remains of ancient marine life and offer significant insights into the Earth's past environments. These fossils often include various forms such as Bivalves, known for their two-part shells, and Gastropods, which are typically single-shelled organisms like snails. The study of these Paleontology specimens helps researchers understand the evolution and

Our fossils are from the Sahara Desert in Morocco. This portion of Northern Africa was once covered in water and is rich in marine-life fossils from the Cretaceous period 145.5 - 65.5 million years ago through the Eocene periods 56 - 33.9 million years ago. We hope you enjoy learning more about your treasures!

Fossil evidence indicates they had sharp, beaklike jaws to snare prey such as plankton, crustaceans, and other ammonites. Ammonite shells are used today as index fossils, meaning they can help

Their fossil shells usually take the form of planispirals, although some helically spiraled and nonspiraled forms known as heteromorphs have been found, primarily during the Cretaceous period. The name quotammonitequot, from which the scientific term is derived, was inspired by the spiral shape of their fossilized shells, which somewhat resemble

Foundation for the study of shells, fossil and recent, with a museum for educational purposes. This virtual museum shows about 32.000 pictures of fossils mainly shells, actual shells and fossil sites New additions Addition of Oligocene of the Netherlands 201706

While ammonite shells are abundant in the fossil record, it was only recently that scientists have found a very rare fossil of the soft parts of an ammonite. However, fossilised evidence of ammonite arms is yet to be found. But when ammonite fossils that looked unique were found in the past, they tended to be recorded as new species instead

Ammonoidea, or ammonoids, constitute one of the most important clades of extinct invertebrate animals.Their lovely shells have long made them favorites of collectors and their fossils have been known since ancient times. For example, Pliny the Elder AD 23-79 commented that quot'Hammonis cornu,' or 'horn of Ammon,' which is among the most sacred stones of Ethiopia, has a golden yellow colour

Ammonites are extinct marine mollusks that belong to the class Cephalopoda and the subclass Ammonoidea. They were widespread and diverse creatures that lived in the oceans from the Devonian period, around 400 million years ago, until the end of the Cretaceous period, about 66 million years ago when they went extinct along with the dinosaurs. Ammonites were among the most abundant and

Shell shapes Most shell shape fossils are shells Found around coal deposits in many areas, in limestones, shales and sandstones and around the edges of Australia's ancient inland sea. brachiopod fossils may be of the outside of the shell called an quotexternal castquot. External casts often have often have have ridges or grooves that radiate from

The first step in identifying shell fossils is to make sure the item you are examining is a true fossil, not a modern shell. Shell fossils are formed when an animal dies and sinks to the bottom of a lake or ocean. If the animal becomes covered with dirt and is not eaten, it will be protected from erosion and other environmental hazards. As sediment accumulates, the weight compacts the