3.6" Mammites Nodosoides Ammonite Fossil Shell Upper Cretaceous Age Morocco

Location: Jbel Toubkal, Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Weight: 12.4 Ounces

Dimension: 3.6 Inches Long, 3.1 Inches Wide, 1.7 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, closely related to modern squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish. They flourished during the Mesozoic Era, particularly throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, spanning nearly 140 million years—from about 201 million years ago until their extinction 66 million years ago. Their disappearance coincided with the mass extinction event that also ended the reign of the dinosaurs, likely caused by a massive asteroid impact and resulting environmental upheavals.

Ammonites are easily recognized by their distinctive coiled shells, which varied greatly in size, shape, and complexity. Each shell was divided into chambers by thin walls called septa. The living ammonite resided only in the outermost body chamber, while the inner chambers were filled with gas or fluid to regulate buoyancy. The detailed suture patterns formed where the septa met the shell wall are distinctive features used to classify different ammonite species and genera.

The ammonite shell played multiple vital roles—it protected from predators and helped with flotation and movement in water.

As carnivorous predators, ammonites likely fed on small plankton, crustaceans, and possibly other ammonites. They possessed tentacle-like arms for grasping prey and sharp, beak-like jaws, much like their modern cephalopod relatives. Fossil evidence indicates that ammonites were swift, agile swimmers, preferring warm, shallow seas rather than the deep ocean.

Their evolutionary history shows a remarkable diversity; over 10,000 species have been identified from fossil records found globally. Ammonites evolved rapidly over geological time scales, making them excellent index fossils for dating rock layers due to their short geological lifespan.

The evolutionary origins of ammonites can be traced back to straight-shelled nautiloids that first appeared during the Devonian period, over 400 million years ago. Over time, ammonites underwent remarkable morphological evolution, developing coiled shells with increasingly complex suture patterns that enhanced buoyancy control and shell strength. These adaptations allowed them to thrive in diverse marine environments and become one of the most successful groups of marine invertebrates in Earth’s history.

Despite their resilience and ability to survive multiple mass extinction events, including the catastrophic Permian-Triassic extinction, ammonites ultimately vanished during the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K–Pg) extinction event, about 66 million years ago. This final extinction, likely triggered by a massive asteroid impact and ensuing global environmental changes, led to the collapse of marine ecosystems and the disappearance of ammonites along with the dinosaurs.

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.