Orthoceras Fossil Plate Specimen
Orthoceras ("straight horn") is a genus of extinct cephalopod.
Orthoceras are dated to the lower Ordovician to Triassic ages.
They are ancestors to the modern day squid.
The Orthoceras ranged in size from a few inches in length to over six feet. They could swim as well as crawl on the ocean floor. By filling the chambers in their shells with air they could float through the seas propelling themselves by squirting jets of water. As they died their shells accumulated upon the ocean floor, then covered by sediments they transformed into stone over the ages.
This specimen piece features a piece of ancient sea-bed with various Orthoceras fossils throughout.
The entire place measures approximately 6" x 8". This is definitely a display piece that will get noticed!
These specimens are approximately 500+ million years old.