|
|
|
GIANT DINOSAUR-ERA CRETACEOUS AMMONITE - Agadir, Morocco MID CRETACEOUS PERIOD: 112 - 99.6 million years ago This giant ammonite is a member of the Perisphinctes genus of Cretaceous ammonites from the coastal village of Agadir, Morocco. This type is lesser common variety compared to the more prevalent Procheloniceras which is thicker and with a more robust chamber pattern. Viewed from the edge, it is much more compressed and streamlined, most likely it was able to swim faster through the ocean since the drag of a thicker shell was reduced. Chamber detail on display side reground to accurate original pattern and detail. Same shell detail is also evident on the reverse testifying to its authenticity and rarer variety as indicated. Genuine massive specimens like this example are exceedingly rare and usually when they reach this size, they are very "blob-like" and lack nice form and symmetry. Specimens of this quality and size are very hard to find in genuine form as nearly all large rough Moroccan ammonites are carved fakes made from the same limestone as the genuine specimens are formed from. When in doubt, carefully examine the reverse side. The ridges of the chambers should be evident in faint form on the reverse at the boundary where the matrix removal was stopped. Faint chamber detail is clearly evident in the giant specimen seen in the photos above on the reverse. With the majority of very large specimens of this ammonite being nothing more than hand-carved replicas, it is imperative to know your source and see this kind of detail on the reverse side of what you purchase. In most cases, the fakes will also be substantially lower in cost as they can be purchased for much less than a genuine specimen goes for at the source. We highly recommend this magnificent giant fossil to either augment a collection or serve as a monumental interior design piece. The pictures with the hand indicate the real magnitude of this enormous specimen.
AMMONOIDS
evolved from nautiloids in the early Devonian period, about 400 million
years ago. They were abundant in world seas for the next 370 million
years. They suddenly vanished at the end of the Cretaceous period. These
extinct marine animals, which thrived in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic
Eras, some 400 to 65 million years ago, were cephalopods, and are thus
related to squid, octopus, cuttlefish, and the chambered nautilus.
Ammonites were able to swim, thanks to the unique construction of their
shell, which was divided into a series of The animal that lived in this fossil shell looked something like a squid or an octopus, with tentacles for grasping its food and moving around the ocean floor. Some ammonite species have been found up to 6 feet across in size, while others never got bigger than a dime. With its three-dimensional form and texture, this ammonite specimen will bring any event to a halt when displayed. It is in a class all its own, not only desired by collectors, but treasured by interior designers and architects alike for incorporating into a stunning display. Natural color and wonderfully detailed. An exquisite specimen for such a rare size and an absolute "show-stopper"! MASSIVE ARCHITECTURALLY ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE! 21.75 wide x 17.75" high $1395 AMX-026 INCLUDES STAND Actual Item - One Only |
|
1395 |
air chambers. The air in the
chambers provided buoyancy for the animal to float; like modern
cephalopods, they probably moved through the water using jet propulsion.
Because ammonites lived exclusively in marine environments, their
presence also indicates the location of prehistoric seas.