Last week, on Fossil Friday, I posted a picture of one of my favorite fossils. This one is not unique; it is one of the most common fossils found across the world and as a result it is wildly popular. You can find them in most paleontology collections, natural history museum gift shops, and I’ve seen paleontologists wear them as earrings!
The answer: it’s an ammonite!
From National Geographic’s website: “Ammonites first appeared about 240 million years ago, though they descended from straight-shelled cephalopods called bacrites that date back to the Devonian, about 415 million years ago. Ammonites were prolific breeders, lived in schools, and are among the most abundant fossils found today. They went extinct with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Scientists use the various shapes and sizes of ammonite shells that appeared and disappeared through the ages to date other fossils.”
You can find out more here.
I think this one was too easy! Stay tuned for a harder question this Friday!
