Rare Triple Ammonite Bed from United Kingdom

Rare ammonites from Madagascar are highly sought after by collectors and paleontologists due to their exceptional preservation and unique features. These...

United Kingdom Ammonite plate.   

Ammonites are perhaps the most widely known fossil. These creatures lived in the seas between 240 - 65 million years ago, when they became extinct along with the dinosaurs. This lar...

This outstanding fossilised skeleton is that of the ancestral crocodile species Steneosaurus bollensis that lived during the early Jurassic period. The skeleton, complete with armoured plates, has been exquisitely preserved and recovered from the Holzmaden Oil Shale of south Germany. The crocodile was once buried in fine, muddy sediment 195 million years ago at the bottom of the Tethys Ocean, which once existed between Europe and Africa. The calm, deep water provided a rare anoxic (without oxygen) environment, which prevented the skeleton from any significant decomposition before burial. The mud has since been compressed into oil shale, leaving the immense skeleton completely in-tact. This specimen is one of the few skeletons of Steneosaurus bollensis ever to be discovered. We can deduce much about the life of this reptile from the size and perfect preservation of the piece. Similar to present-day crocodiles, we can see that the two front limbs of the Steneosaurus are much shorter than the back two. This indicates that crocodile ancestors were bipedal; indeed, we believe that crocodiles evolved from the same reptile species as the dinosaurs and airborne pterosaurs. Dinosaurs ruled the lands during the late Triassic and early Jurassic. This made terrestrial life increasingly difficult for ancestral crocodiles, as there were many predators and prey was scarce. However, the seas were rich in fish, shellfish, starfish, crabs, squid… You can even see fossil belemnite guards (bullet shells of squid-like organisms) and the beautiful spiral shells of ammonites preserved around the crocodile skeleton...

Set of three prehistoric ammonite fossil, unmounted. Measurements: Big amonite: Depth *4.5in Width *5.5in Height *1.6in Medium amonite: Depth *4.1in Width *5.1in Height *1.6in...

Pair of fossil ammonite stones. These are generally found in the ocean and have a mixture of limestone seashells, etc from years of fossilizing. One is larger than the other. Lar...

This fossil ammonite specimen, named Kranaosphinctes, is from Madagascar. It is a little one (36cm diameter, knowing it can go wider than 50cm). They were found alive during the cr...

Magnificent fossil, ammonite, France, Prehistoric, approximately 335 million years of existence. Height 55 cm, width 58 cm.