FOSSILS SPECIMEN: CEPHALOPODA

Fossils are defined as any evidence of prehistoric life. There are two types of fossils: Body Fossils include remains of skeletal bones, shell, carapace, test and teeth. Trace Fossils are clues the organism existed such as foot prints, tracks, burrows and coprolites (fossil dung). One of the most collected fossil s are ammonites!

Cephalopoda means “head foot” due to their general appearance. This group includes the famous ammonites, nautiloids and the simple shelled belemnites. To see my modern cephalopod specimen click here, or to see my model cephalopods click here.

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Mollusca – Class: Cephalopoda – Order: Belemnitida

(belemnite)

Triassic to Cretaceous

Belemnitella americana

Cretaceous

Mt. Laurel Formation D & D Canal Delaware

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Mollusca – Class: Cephalopoda – Subclass: Nautiloidea

(nautiloids and the chamber nautilus)

Lower Cambrian to Holocene

Polished Orthoceras sp. “straight horn”

“Nautiloid Spear”

Upper Devonian (370 MYA)

Anti-Atlas Mountains, Morocco, North Africa

Nautiloid Brachycycloceras

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Nautiloid Shimanskya postremus

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Mollusca – Class: Cephalopoda – Subclass: Ammonoidea

(ammonites)

Devonian to Cretaceous

The scientific name ‘Ammonite’ is an informal term for all animals in the mollusk group Ammonoidea. They are named for the Egyptian god ‘Ammon’. Ammon is usually depicted with ram’s horns on his head, which look a lot like the coiled shells of many species of ammonite.

Goniatite Ammonite (reycrystalized)

Paired Ammonite Cross Sections

Ammonites with Ammolite

Ammonite Oxytropidoceras 

(internal cast)

Lower Cretaceous

Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas

Ammonite with Internal Suture Pattern

Cretaceous

North America

Ammonite Coprolite

Jurassic

Germany

Ammonite Metacoceras

Pennsylvanian

(Upper Carboniferous)

Mineral Wells Fossil Park

Palo Pinto County, Texas

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Mollusca – Class: Cephalopoda – Subclass: Ammonoidea

(baculites means “walking stick rock”)

Upper Cretaceous

Baculites

Upper Cretaceous

Ladonia Fossil Park, Ladonia, Texas