Terry Dactyll Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Recently a member of the forum mentioned Fossil Nautilus in one of the threads as he had found an ammonite, proportionally in side elevation, the same dimensions as a nautilus.....I know theres a few ammonite guys & girls out there..... have any of you come across any nautilus from the same beds you find the ammonites..... I've found a few over the years and have a particular favourate that i found in North Somerset.... Id call it my best although i have quite a few others......I looked up to the sky when I found this one.... Obviously It didnt look like this when i found it, but i could see its potential and new of its rarity from this section of coast.....I learned a valuble lesson prepwise to, if you notice when cutting the mouth of the nautilus i went straight through an ammonite that was lodged in the shells mouth border..... sometimes these big ammonites harbour smaller ones that got washed in prior to fossilisation taking place.... I tread more cautiously as a result when working round the mouth ever since..... Nautilus - (Sinemurian) Lower Lias - North Somerset Coast...11" 2 Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepinthemud Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 thats a beautiful piece! very nice! I like the two different textures of the shells... "To do is to be." -Socrates "People are Stupid." -Wizard's First Rule "Happiness is a warm Jeep." -Auspex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverphoenix Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Very beautiful piece! I've heard of nautiloids being found together with ammonites, but I'm sure a lot of people call them all ammonites, hence why these cases are rarely heard of. The easy way to tell an ammonite apart from a nautilus is the sutures (chamber walls/ lines on the shell). A nautilus will have straight lines, while ammonites will have flaring of the lines--usually cretaceous ammonites have the most flaring, with the most subtle flaring being in older specimens. Also, all nautiloids that I've seen have had smooth shells, while ammonites have more of a ribbed shell, assuming that it hasn't been polished smooth, in which case you go by the sutures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Terry, as I've said before, your prep work is stunning...more so because you found them. Are all the contours and shapes of the specimens natural? Great work. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 The easy way to tell an ammonite apart from a nautilus is the sutures (chamber walls/ lines on the shell). A nautilus will have straight lines, while ammonites will have flaring of the lines--usually cretaceous ammonites have the most flaring, with the most subtle flaring being in older specimens. Also, all nautiloids that I've seen have had smooth shells, while ammonites have more of a ribbed shell, assuming that it hasn't been polished smooth, in which case you go by the sutures. This tends to be the method I use to also identify between Nautiloids and Ammonites. As for the specimen, I think it is a beautiful piece the prep work is easily A+. Pieces like this although seemingly a fossil can be considered contemporary art. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 OK, that does it! Terry Dactyll, because of their rarity, stunning beauty, and superb preparation, I am moved to award the Fossil Forum Golden Drool Bucket. For the body of work with which you have generously graced our monitors, I thank you. Well Done! (Edit: LINK to 'Terry Dactyll's' collection and preparation) "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 Thanks guys.... silverphoenix.... yes good opportunity to discuss this difference.... the nautilus above, the actual outer shell was a very loose flakey white compound already damaged by the sea through erosion where it was poking out of the nodule.... so the rest of it had to come off to produce what you see.... so the actual straight sutures are visible around the nautilus....Its very common practice to do this to nautilus over here, to polish the calcite cast.....heres a comparison photo of the sutures from the ammonite in the ''Latest find thread'' and a Scunthorpe 'Frodingham Ironstone' Nautilus..... with green and creme calcite preservation.....showing the straight sutures.... I didnt find this nautilus it was a swop ... JohnJ... I carried out most of the explority work and finishing on this fossil but i didnt have a rotary mop buffing pad, to apply the cerium oxide so the 'final tweak' on that one was carried out by Mike Marshall of Yorkshire Coast Fossils.... at the time I was'nt so sure i could fully do that piece justice.... Your right, they mean a lot more when you find them yourself and yes all the contours are natural.... Nicholas.... I agree with your natural art theory, they are one off glimpses into the past and its very important to try to do them justice by prepping them to the highest standard possible..... Auspex.... Glad you like it.... If I had to grab a fossil and run.... that would be the one ...lol Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Absalutely Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Unreal man!! Those are beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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