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  3. Ammonite Fossils

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Goniatite detail, Muensteroceras oweni, Rockford, Indiana, Rockford Formation, Mississippian (Kinderhookian) - Specimen #P6372A

Ammonite Fossils

Body

Ammonite and nautiloid fossils have been prized from antiquity for their mesmerizing logarithmic spiral. In Hindu religion they are held sacred as saligram (a Nepali example is included here), a reminder of the unfolding of the universe by Lord Vishnu the creator. They are the shells of extinct cephalopods, related to the modern pearly nautilus. Ammonites and nautiloids are prized by paleontologists because they were widespread on the world's oceans, and evolved rapidly. Even with the great array of geological dating techniques now available, geological age can still be determined more accurately by a single ammonite than by geochemical methods. These ammonites and nautiloids are from the recently acquired Retallack collection. Images © Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

Image Gallery
Ammonite side one, Australiceras jacki, Wrotham Park, Queensland, Blackdown Formation, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) - Specimen #P3835A

Ammonite, Australiceras jacki Wrotham Park, Queensland, Blackdown Formation Early Cretaceous (Aptian) - Specimen #P3835A

Ammonite, Australiceras jacki
Wrotham Park, Queensland, Blackdown Formation
Early Cretaceous (Aptian) - Specimen #P3835A

Goniatite, Paralegoceras texanum, Bend, Texas, Smithwick Shale, Early Pennsylvanian - Specimen #P9569

Goniatite, Paralegoceras texanum Bend, Texas, Smithwick Shale Early Pennsylvanian - Specimen #P9569

Goniatite, Paralegoceras texanum
Bend, Texas, Smithwick Shale
Early Pennsylvanian - Specimen #P9569

Ammonite, Macrocephalites bifurcatus, Telfomin, Papua, Telefomine Beds, Middle Jurassic (Callovian) - Specimen #P3852

Ammonite, Macrocephalites bifurcatus Telfomin, Papua, Telefomine Beds Middle Jurassic (Callovian) - Specimen #P3852

Ammonite, Macrocephalites bifurcatus
Telfomin, Papua, Telefomine Beds
Middle Jurassic (Callovian) - Specimen #P3852

Goniatite, Muensteroceras oweni, Rockford, Indiana, Rockford Formation, Mississippian (Kinderhookian) - Specimen #P6372A

Goniatite, Muensteroceras oweni Rockford, Indiana, Rockford Formation, Mississippian (Kinderhookian) - Specimen #P6372A

Goniatite, Muensteroceras oweni
Rockford, Indiana, Rockford Formation,
Mississippian (Kinderhookian) - Specimen #P6372A

Goniatite detail, Muensteroceras oweni, Rockford, Indiana, Rockford Formation, Mississippian (Kinderhookian) - Specimen #P6372A

Goniatite detail, Muensteroceras oweni Rockford, Indiana, Rockford Formation Mississippian (Kinderhookian) - Specimen #P6372A

Goniatite detail, Muensteroceras oweni
Rockford, Indiana, Rockford Formation
Mississippian (Kinderhookian) - Specimen #P6372A

Ammonite and Hindu saligram, Blandfordiceras wallichi, Jomosom, Nepal, Saligram Formation, Late Jurassic (Tithonian) - Specimen #P6478

Ammonite and Hindu saligram, Blandfordiceras wallichi Jomosom, Nepal, Saligram Formation Late Jurassic (Tithonian) - Specimen #P6478

Ammonite and Hindu saligram, Blandfordiceras wallichi
Jomosom, Nepal, Saligram Formation
Late Jurassic (Tithonian) - Specimen #P6478

Ammonite and Hindu saligram detail, Blandfordiceras wallichi, Jomosom, Nepal, Saligram Formation, Late Jurassic (Tithonian) - Specimen #P6478

Ammonite and Hindu saligram detail, Blandfordiceras wallichi Jomosom, Nepal, Saligram Formation Late Jurassic (Tithonian) - Specimen #P6478

Ammonite and Hindu saligram detail, Blandfordiceras wallichi
Jomosom, Nepal, Saligram Formation
Late Jurassic (Tithonian) - Specimen #P6478

Ammonite, Sphenodiscus lenticularis, Scenic, South Dakota, Pierre Shale, Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) - Specimen #P6516

Ammonite, Sphenodiscus lenticularis Scenic, South Dakota, Pierre Shale  Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) - Specimen #P6516

Ammonite, Sphenodiscus lenticularis
Scenic, South Dakota, Pierre Shale 
Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) - Specimen #P6516

Ammonite detail, Sphenodiscus lenticularis, Scenic, South Dakota, Pierre Shale, Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) - Specimen #P6516

Ammonite detail, Sphenodiscus lenticularis Scenic, South Dakota, Pierre Shale Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) - Specimen #P6516

Ammonite detail, Sphenodiscus lenticularis
Scenic, South Dakota, Pierre Shale
Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) - Specimen #P6516

Ceratite, Acanthoceratites nodosus, Heimsheim, Germany, Muschelkalk, Middle Triassic (Ladinian) - Specimen #P8374

Ceratite, Acanthoceratites nodosus Heimsheim, Germany, Muschelkalk Middle Triassic (Ladinian) - Specimen #P8374

Ceratite, Acanthoceratites nodosus
Heimsheim, Germany, Muschelkalk
Middle Triassic (Ladinian) - Specimen #P8374

Ceratite, Acanthoscaphites nodosus, Fort Peck, Montana, Bearpaw Shale, Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) - Specimen #P8862

Ceratite, Acanthoscaphites nodosus Fort Peck, Montana, Bearpaw Shale Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) - Specimen #P8862

Ceratite, Acanthoscaphites nodosus
Fort Peck, Montana, Bearpaw Shale
Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) - Specimen #P8862

Heteromorph ammonite, Glyptotoxoceras indicum, Pape Place, California, Chico Formation, Late Cretaceous (Campanian) - Specimen #P9476

Heteromorph ammonite, Glyptotoxoceras indicum Pape Place, California, Chico Formation Late Cretaceous (Campanian) - Specimen #P9476

Heteromorph ammonite, Glyptotoxoceras indicum
Pape Place, California, Chico Formation
Late Cretaceous (Campanian) - Specimen #P9476

Goniatite, Schistoceras missouriensis, Bridgeport, Texas, Wolf Mountain Shale, Pennsylvanian (Missourian) - Specimen #P10864

Goniatite, Schistoceras missouriensis Bridgeport, Texas, Wolf Mountain Shale Pennsylvanian (Missourian) - Specimen #P10864

Goniatite, Schistoceras missouriensis
Bridgeport, Texas, Wolf Mountain Shale
Pennsylvanian (Missourian) - Specimen #P10864

Goniatite, Cyclolobus oldhami, Ambilobe, Madagascar, Sakamena Group, Late Permian (Changsingian) - Specimen #P12977B

Goniatite, Cyclolobus oldhami Ambilobe, Madagascar, Sakamena Group Late Permian (Changsingian) - Specimen #P12977B

Goniatite, Cyclolobus oldhami
Ambilobe, Madagascar, Sakamena Group
Late Permian (Changsingian) - Specimen #P12977B

Goniatite detail, Cyclolobus oldhami, Ambilobe, Madagascar, Sakamena Group, Late Permian (Changsingian) - Specimen #P12977B

Goniatite detail, Cyclolobus oldhami Ambilobe, Madagascar, Sakamena Group Late Permian (Changsingian) - Specimen #P12977B

Goniatite detail, Cyclolobus oldhami
Ambilobe, Madagascar, Sakamena Group
Late Permian (Changsingian) - Specimen #P12977B

Goniatite, Metalegoceras sundiacum, Basleo, Timor, Maubisse Formation, Early Permian (Artinskian) - Specimen #P14320

Goniatite, Metalegoceras sundiacum Basleo, Timor, Maubisse Formation Early Permian (Artinskian) - Specimen #P14320

Goniatite, Metalegoceras sundiacum
Basleo, Timor, Maubisse Formation
Early Permian (Artinskian) - Specimen #P14320

Ammonite, Douvilliceras mammillare, Majunga, Madagascar, Ambarimaniya Formation, Early Cretaceous (Albian) - Specimen #P15359

Ammonite, Douvilliceras mammillare Majunga, Madagascar, Ambarimaniya Formation Early Cretaceous (Albian) - Specimen #P15359

Ammonite, Douvilliceras mammillare
Majunga, Madagascar, Ambarimaniya Formation
Early Cretaceous (Albian) - Specimen #P15359

Ammonoid, Sagenites minaensis, Union Canyon, Nevada, Luning Formation, Late Triassic (Carnian) - Specimen #P15039

Ammonoid, Sagenites minaensis Union Canyon, Nevada, Luning Formation Late Triassic (Carnian) - Specimen #P15039

Ammonoid, Sagenites minaensis
Union Canyon, Nevada, Luning Formation
Late Triassic (Carnian) - Specimen #P15039

Ammonite, Phylloceras heterophyllum, Majunga, Madagascar, Beronono Formation, Early Jurassic (Toarcian) - Specimen #P15778

Ammonite, Phylloceras heterophyllum Majunga, Madagascar, Beronono Formation Early Jurassic (Toarcian) - Specimen #P15778

Ammonite, Phylloceras heterophyllum
Majunga, Madagascar, Beronono Formation
Early Jurassic (Toarcian) - Specimen #P15778

Ammonite detail, Phylloceras heterophyllum, Majunga, Madagascar, Beronono Formation, Early Jurassic (Toarcian) - Specimen #P15778

Ammonite detail, Phylloceras heterophyllum Majunga, Madagascar, Beronono Formation Early Jurassic (Toarcian) - Specimen #P15778

Ammonite detail, Phylloceras heterophyllum
Majunga, Madagascar, Beronono Formation
Early Jurassic (Toarcian) - Specimen #P15778

Collections Galleries

Bird, snake, lizards, and fish, Yirrkalla, Arnhem Land 30.5" x 17.75", Cat. No. 6-36
Aboriginal Australian Bark Paintings
Cebus sp. Capuchin
University of Oregon Comparative Primate Collection
7-38
Tapa Cloth
Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus - 37.54 x 27.98 mm
Birds' Eggs
Bighorn sheep, anterior view of different specimen
Vertebrate Skulls
Navajo weaving
Navajo, Pueblo, and other Southwestern Weavings
See all collections galleries

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