What is orthoceras fossil?
An orthoceras is an ancient mollusk that lived in the Ordovician period. At that time, the earth was mostly covered in water. It had a soft squid-like body inside a cone shell. Over time, its aragonite shell turned into calcite and fossilized. Let’s explore more fun facts about this fascinating marine fossil!
Where is orthoceras found?
Morocco
Found in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, Orthoceras are an extinct Nautiloid cephalopod that lived from the Ordovician Period to the Triassic Period (500 – 200 million years ago).
How much is an orthoceras fossil?
Total price $40 for 6 pieces, including 1 pendant Note: Actual items shown in image No. 2 with ruler Orthoceras are prehistoric cephalopods…
How old is an Orthoceras fossil?
around 400 million years old
Orthocears are the remains of extinct marine animals, therefore, known as the fossil stone and is around 400 million years old. The ancestor to the squid, over 500 to 190 million years ago, they are marked with a date to the lower Ordovician to Triassic ages.
Is Orthoceras a Belemnite?
yes this is Orthoceras (or Orthocycloceras according to some taxonomists) a nautiloid cephalopod. Thus it is a relative of belemnites.
What did Orthoceras eat?
Orthoceras probably ate trilobites like Walliserops and Calymene. Orthoceras was about 6″ long and probably had to avoid giant predators such as Eusthenodon, Eusthenopteron, and Dunkleosteus. Orthoceras was Ordovician to Devonian, and resembles other orthocones like Cameroceras, Endoceras, and Dawsonoceras.
What did the Orthoceras eat?
What environment did orthoceras live in?
Orthoceras fossils are found all over the world. They were plentiful in all of the Paleozoic oceans. Their hard shell fossilize easily so that today they are common fossils. Many of the fossils found online or in your local rock shop are from an area near Erfoud, Morocco.
What kind of fossil is an Orthoceras from?
An orthoceras is what’s known as a nautiloid that is from the Devonian period of the Paleozoic era from millions of years ago. Since they’re a marine mollusk, their bodies haven’t been preserved.
What kind of rock are Moroccan Orthoceras made of?
These Moroccan Orthoceras are polished to show their intricate internal growth patterns. The rock is a beautiful marble-like dolomite material. Exceptional detail.
How big are Moroccan ammonites and Orthoceras?
These ammonites and orthoceras are beautifully polished. This display measures 8″ x 14″ and weighs 12 pounds. You rarely see top quality, extra large ammonites and Orthoceras in the same matrix block. An incredible, rarely seen display item!
What’s the difference between a baculite and an Orthoceras?
Confusion with Baculites. Orthoceras lived much earlier (Middle Ordovician) than Baculites (Late Cretaceous ). The two types of fossils can be distinguished by many features, most obvious among which is the suture line: simple in Orthoceras (see image), intricately foliated in Baculites and related forms.