Ammonites have intrigued mankind for thousands of years. This fossil has created enough interest to inspire dozens of stories, legends & myths. The name comes from its appearance: it resembles a ram’s horn. in Egyptian mythology, the God Ammon looked like a man with horns like a ram. The ancient fossil was considered Ammon’s stone, thus inheriting the name, ammonite. Ammonites belong to the class of animals called mollusks. More specifically they are cephalopods. & first appeared in the lower Devonian Period. It is thought by some that they evolved from the older nautiloids. The cephalopods were an abundant & diverse group during the Paleozoic Era. Cephalopods are present in today’s oceans as squid, octopus, cuttlefish, & nautiloids. While they are still a diverse group with about 800 species, it is estimated that there are about 17,000 extinct species. Their hard shells were easily fossilized & so we have an abundant supply of these fossils to learn from. The shells had many chambers divided by walls called septa. The chambers are connected by a tube called a siphuncle. Opalized Ammonite Fossil W/stand 3.3" X 2.7" #224
