2.65" Partially Pyritized Ammonite (Deshayesites) Fossil

Partially Pyritized Ammonite (Deshayesites) Fossil #243287

This is a beautiful, 2.65" wide Deshayesites deshayesi ammonite fossil from the Lower Cretaceous deposits of Saratov, Russia. It has been nicely exposed from the rock it was found in, with portions of the shell removed to show the partial pyritization. The base of the rock has been cut flat for an aesthetic, free-standing presentation, however it is accompanied by an acrylic display stand for preferred presentation.

Ammonites were predatory mollusks that resembled a squid with a shell. These cephalopods had eyes, tentacles, and spiral shells. They are more closely related to a living octopus, though the shells resemble that of a nautilus. True ammonites appeared in the fossil record about 240 million years ago. The last lineages disappeared 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous.

What an ammonite would have looked like while alive.

More about ammonites