Ammonite fossil from the Dolomites
Ammonite fossil from the Dolomites
3D
Published 2022-11-18T16:38:26+00:00
Ammonites were shelled cephalopods that died out about 66 million years ago. Fossils of them are found all around the world, sometimes in very large concentrations. They were ocean-dwelling molluscs, specifically cephalopods.
The group Cephalopoda is divided into three subgroups: coleoids (including squids, octopuses and cuttlefishes), nautiloids (the nautiluses) and ammonites.
Ammonites' shells make the animals look most like nautiluses, but they are actually thought to be more closely related to coleoids.
Ammonites were born with tiny shells and, as they grew, they built new chambers onto it. They would move their entire body into a new chamber and seal off their old and now too-small living quarters with walls known as septa.
This fossil was found in the Dolomites and it is part of the MUSE collection. It dates back from the time when the Dolomites were submerged by the oceans.
| Date published | 18/11/2022 |
| Title | Ammonite fossil from the Dolomites |
| Place | Muse - Museo delle Scienze |