4.8" Cretaceous Fossil Squid with Tentacles & Ink Sac - Pos/Neg

Cretaceous Fossil Squid with Tentacles & Ink Sac - Pos/Neg #201349

This is a positive/negative limestone split of a soft-bodied fossil squid from the Upper Cretaceous marine deposits of Lebanon. Soft bodied organisms are uncommon in the fossil record, especially those with excellent preservation. This soft bodied squid specimen still includes its ink sack and beautifully preserved tentacles. A truly stunning specimen that measures 4.8" in length.

There is a repaired crack through the mantle/fins and the limestone which required glue repair on both halves of the specimen. Comes with an acrylic display stand for each side of the split.

The discovery of amazingly preserved marine fossils near Hakel, Lebanon dates back many centuries. In fact, they were first mentioned in writing by Herodotus, over 450 years before the birth of Christ. The first scientific work on these localities began in the 1800s and these deposits have been meticulously quarried by several Lebanese families for over a century. We purchase our specimens directly from one of these families that has worked the quarries for generations.

These deposits represent a warm, shallow sea and have yielded over 70 types of fish as well as numerous other genera found nowhere else in the world. The preservation on many of these specimens is truly amazing including examples of soft bodied preservation.

A photo of the quarry at Hakel, Lebanon

$795

SPECIES

Unidentified Squid

AGE

Upper Cretaceous (~94 Million Years)