Natural History, including Apex the Stegosaurus
Natural History, including Apex the Stegosaurus
Large Kranaosphinctes Ammonite
Late Jurassic (approx. 160 million years ago), Madagascar
Auction Closed
July 17, 03:28 PM GMT
Estimate
4,000 - 6,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Large Kranaosphinctes Ammonite
Kranaosphinctes rabei
Late Jurassic (approx. 160 million years ago)
Madagascar
18¾ x 16 x 7 inches (47.6 x 40.6 x 17.8 cm), 22½ inches (57.2 cm) tall on stand. 89 pounds (40.4 kg).
This large fossilized shell exhibits sculptural qualities and is complete, without distortion, and matrix-free. The ribbed whorls and central coil (umbilicus) are nicely cleaned and distinct. The cream-colored outer shell is moderately polished.
As dinosaurs ruled the land during the Late Jurassic, the ammonite genus Kranaosphinctes could be found flourishing in the oceans. Ammonites were a type of cephalopod — the taxonomic class that includes today's nautilus, octopus, and squid. Much like a submarine, ammonites employed gas- and liquid-filled chambers to regulate their position in the water column. The animal itself lived only in the outermost compartment, employing its tubular siphuncle to connect its chambers along the shell's ventral surface.