Description
Agadir Ammonite (13.5cm wide), Cretaceous 120 million years old
This large limestone Agadir ammonite, gets its name from the Moroccan location from where they originate. The area on the west coast near Agadir is a famous and important location for ammonites. This specimen has been skilfully prepared, which also reveals the distinctive ribbing pattern of these ammonites. This fossilised Agadir Ammonite dates back to the Cretaceous period and is in the region of 120 million years old. The flat base of this limestone ammonite makes it a fine display specimen, one that would enhance any collection.
Ammonites have been extinct for 65 million years, and are a form of Cephalopod, a group of marine molluscs. They first appeared in the Devonian Period, over 4oo million years ago. It is nearly always the hard shells that fossilise, the soft body tissues of the ammonites being too delicate. As the ammonite grew larger it added new chambers to the shell with the creature only living in the largest and newest chamber. The actualname Ammonite, derives from from ‘Ammon’ the Greek God. Ammonites were plankton feeders, they had long tentacles, and swam upright. Altogether, there were in the region of ten thousand different species. Ammonites became extinct 65 million years ago, which was also the same time the dinosaurs became extinct. Today the coleoids a family which include the squid cuttlefish and also the octopus are the closet relations.
