3.3" Mammites Nodosoides Ammonite Fossil Shell Upper Cretaceous Age Morocco

Location: Jbel Toubkal, Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Weight: 6.5 Ounces

Dimension: 3.3 Inches Long, 2.4 Inches Wide, 1.3 Inches Thick

This is a real fossil

Upper Cretaceous, 80 Million Years Old

The items pictured are the ones you will receive. 

Mammites Nodosoides Ammonite

Ammonites are an extinct group of marine cephalopods belonging to the subclass Ammonoidea, which is part of the class Cephalopoda—the same group that includes squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish. These fascinating sea creatures thrived during the Mesozoic Era, particularly in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, spanning nearly 140 million years—from around 201 million years ago until their extinction 66 million years ago. Their disappearance coincided with the mass extinction event that also wiped out the dinosaurs, likely triggered by a massive asteroid impact and severe environmental disruptions.

Ammonites are instantly recognizable by their spiraled, coiled shells, which varied greatly in size, structure, and ornamentation. Their shells were divided into chambers by walls called septa, with the living animal residing in the outermost body chamber. The inner chambers contained gas or fluid, helping the ammonite regulate buoyancy and move efficiently through the water. The intricate suture patterns formed where the septa met the shell wall are distinctive features used to classify and identify ammonite species.

The ammonite shell served multiple purposes—it offered protection from predators and functioned as a buoyancy aid, allowing the animal to maintain stability in the ocean.

As carnivorous predators, ammonites likely preyed on small plankton, crustaceans, and possibly other ammonites. Equipped with tentacle-like arms and sharp, beak-like jaws, similar to modern cephalopods, they were efficient hunters. Fossil evidence suggests that ammonites were agile swimmers, preferring warm, shallow seas over deep ocean habitats.

Today, ammonite fossils are found all over the world, cherished not only for their scientific importance but also for their natural beauty, often preserved in exquisite detail within sedimentary rocks.

The evolutionary history of ammonites showcases an extraordinary diversity and adaptability. Over 10,000 distinct species have been identified through fossil discoveries worldwide, making them one of the most abundant and well-documented marine fossils in the geological record. Because ammonites evolved rapidly over short geological timescales, each species existed for only a limited period. This rapid evolution makes them excellent index fossils, invaluable for dating and correlating sedimentary rock layers across different regions of the world.

The ancestry of ammonites can be traced back to straight-shelled nautiloids that lived during the Devonian period (around 400 million years ago). Over millions of years, ammonites underwent significant morphological transformations, developing tightly coiled shells and intricate suture patterns that enhanced buoyancy control and structural strength. These adaptations contributed to their evolutionary success, allowing them to thrive in a wide range of marine environments.

This final extinction is believed to have been triggered by a massive asteroid impact that drastically altered global climates and disrupted food chains in marine ecosystems.