Fossils are always an exciting thing to learn. Do you not think about the time when dead remains were once alive and lived on the earth? If all these thoughts interest you, then you will be glad to read about the fossils of the month: Ankylosaurus teeth, Starfish, and Cephalopod fossils. Ankylosaurus is the genus of armored Dinosaurs. It is estimated to have been between 6 and 8 meters (20 and 26 ft) long and weighed between 4.8 and 8 metric tons (5.3 and 8.8 short tons). It was quadrupedal, with a broad, robust body. Let’s dig in deep to know more.
Starfish Fossils
They are ancient animals whose first fossils date back to the Ordovician period. They have incredible powers of regeneration, and if the part of the central disc is attached to a lost arm, it can regrow. Sea stars are fascinating to know. They can grow back missing components. Like all echinoderms, sea stars move and interact with the environment with the help of the water vascular system. The arms of sea stars are covered with tiny tube feet, which allow the sea star to move and grasp prey, acting like a suction cup. The feet are controlled by the technique called hydraulic pressure and can pry the shells of bivalve mollusks apart by exerting as much as nine pounds per square inch of force. Sea stars are interesting as they can eject their stomachs outside their bodies to digest their food.
Cephalopod Fossils
They have been found in the rocks of many ages; some are even alive today. They are the most advanced of all animals without backbones. Its mouth is surrounded by long tentacles commonly armed with suckers. Beneath these tentacles is a tube through which an animal can force a jet of water and thus move by jet propulsion. Most of the Cephalopods found now have a calcareous shell. Some are loosely coiled, some are tightly coiled, and others are shaped like a tapered tube.