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Unknown fossil


Sethro2010

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Nice find! It is a section of Baculite, a straight shelled ammonoid cephalopod. Cephalopods include the modern nautilus, octopus, squid and cuttlefish. Coiled ammonoids are the most well known among most people, but this variety had a straight shell.

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Agreed that this is undoubtedly a Baculite. I think your buddy should scan the job site and see if he can find any additional pieces. ;)

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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Welcome to the forum. If you want to tell your friend more about the fossil, it's part of a shell that an animal related to an octopus lived in 100 million years ago in round numbers. This part is divided into chambers that were separated by the wavy walls and had air sealed inside where rock is now that provided buoyancy for swimming. The body was housed in a much larger chamber and could extend it's tentacles out an aperture at the largest end. The lacy-looking lines on the outside show where the walls attached to the inside of the shell. Since we can see these sutures we know this is what we call an internal mold and the original shell is missing.

The name of the genus is actually Baculites, pronounced 'back'-you-lite'-ease" but I'm told common usages makes it okay to call it a baculite.

 

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