Fossils
 Ammonites |
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Geology: Ammonites lived during the periods of Earth history known as the Jurassic and Cretaceous. They became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous Period at roughly the same time as the dinosaurs disappeared. They are commonly found as fossils, formed when the remains or traces of the animal became buried in sediment which later solidified into rock.Ammonites were marine animals and had a coiled external shell similar to the modern pearly nautilus.The ammonite’s shell was divided into chambers separated by strong walls known as septa. They probably lived in water up to 100 metres deep.Ammonites take their name from the Egyptian god Amun, known to the Greeks as Zeus Ammon.This god is depicted on Cyrean coins and in sculpture by a head with curling ram’s horns. Many genera of ammonites have names ending in -ceras from the Greek word ‘keras’ meaning horn. Locality: Erfoud, Morocco |
 Orthoceras |
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Geology: Orthoceras are the most common of the straight Paleozioc cephalopods. Cone shaped, they consist of a central siphuncle filled with calcareous deposits and are ornamented with transverse ribs. Their age is Lower Ordovician through Upper Triassic. Their phylum is Mollusca and their subclass is Nautiloidea. Orthoceras is the name for European species; those found in North America are called Michelinoceris. Locality: Morocco |
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Goniatites |
| ?Goniatids, informally Goniatites, are ammonoid cephalopods that form the Order Goniatiida, derived from the more primitive Anarcestida during the Middle Devonian some 390 million years ago. Goniatites (goniatitida) survived the Late Devonian extinction to flourish during the Carboniferous and Permian only to become extinct at the end of the Permian some 139 million years later.Locality: Morocco |
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Orthoceras |
| ?Orthoceras are the most common of the straight Paleozioc cephalopods. Cone shaped, they consist of a central siphuncle filled with calcareous deposits and are ornamented with transverse ribs. Their age is Lower Ordovician through Upper Triassic. Their phylum is Mollusca and their subclass is Nautiloidea. Orthoceras is the name for European species; those found in North America are called Michelinoceris.Locality: Morocco |
 ammonites |
| Ammonites lived during the periods of Earth history known as the Jurassic and Cretaceous. They became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous Period at roughly the same time as the dinosaurs disappeared. They are commonly found as fossils, formed when the remains or traces of the animal became buried in sediment which later solidified into rock.Ammonites were marine animals and had a coiled external shell similar to the modern pearly nautilus.The ammonite’s shell was divided into chambers separated by strong walls known as septa. They probably lived in water up to 100 metres deep.Ammonites take their name from the Egyptian god Amun, known to the Greeks as Zeus Ammon.This god is depicted on Cyrean coins and in sculpture by a head with curling ram’s horns. Many genera of ammonites have names ending in -ceras from the Greek word ‘keras’ meaning horn.
Locality: Erfoud, Morocco |
