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ORTHOCERAS FOSSIL PLAQUE (EXTRA LARGE) Atlas Mountain Range, South Morocco (Northern Sahara Desert) DEVONIAN PERIOD: 395 - 345 million years ago Without a doubt, this masterpiece of Earth's natural history is a site to behold. Not only is it the largest slab of orthoceras we have recently offered but some of the creatures on the slab ARE THE LARGEST WE HAVE EVER SEEN ANYWHERE!!! This giant display fossil is packed with beautifully detailed fossils and running down the right side of the rock is an orthoceras that is MASSIVE and of a size that is so very RARE! This is a superb single giant slab filled with wonderful and completely natural orthoceras fossils given a high polish to better view the creature from its surrounding matrix. These are not the common composites you see typically offered in the market but are 100% authentic heavy fossil rock slabs. Across the rock there is very high relief as well as dramatic texture and detail. As these forms of prehistoric squid were covered in ocean sediments prior to fossilization, the majority of the creatures will be facing in the same relative position having been lined up by currents on the sea floor prior to being buried. ORTHOCERAS are extinct members of the cephalopod class. These primitive sea creatures are similar to the modern chambered nautilus, but grew a straight shell rather than a coiled one. Now extinct, the 345 - 395 million year old Devonian age orthoceras, meaning "straight horn", is an ancestor of the squid and octopus. ORTHOCERAS were among the most advanced of the invertebrates having eyes, jaws, and a sophisticated nervous system. They swam freely using a jet propulsion system by squirting water from their bodies. They had tentacles and ink sacs much like the present-day squid. As they died, their shells accumulated in great numbers on the sea floor where they were aligned by currents, buried by sediments, and transformed over the ages into stone by various physical and chemical processes. We cannot recommend this breath-taking example enough. Very rarely do we offer such massive specimens but even more importantly, this specific rare piece has an individual fossilized animal that is the largest we've come across. A MASSIVE AND FOSSIL WITH A MONSTROUS AND WELL PRESERVED ORTHOCERAS!!! 25" x 25" overall size SOLD OR5001 INCLUDES STAND Actual Item - One Only |
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