Orthoceras - Fossilised animal (No reserve price)

Beautiful slab with several specimens of Orthoceras coming from Morocco. These marine animals were among the first living forms to inhabit the planet. Found in the Arfoud area. Orthoceras are extinct cephalopod mollusks, belonging to a group now extinct. These marine creatures lived in the oceans hundreds of millions of years ago, mainly during the Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian periods. Their name, which in Greek means “straight horn,” refers to the distinctive shape of their conical, elongated shell. This shell was divided into chambers, separated by septa, and traversed by a siphon. The shell of Orthoceras is probably their most distinctive feature. It was made of aragonite, a mineral that also forms the shells of many current mollusks. Over time, and under the influence of geological processes such as sedimentation and mineralization, these shells fossilized, giving rise to the specimens we admire today. Orthoceras fossils are precious witnesses to marine life of a bygone era. Studying them allows scientists to reconstruct ancient ecosystems, understand the evolution of species, and better comprehend the major changes that marked Earth's history. ***The stand is for display purposes only and is not included.

Estimate:£1.67

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