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What happened to this ammonite?


Marlowe

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I bought this ammonite online, found in the gault clay of Folkestone, Kent, and it has some unusual markings on it. I can't tell if they're from before or after death or if they might be bite marks. There is what looks like a pyrite deposit in the dent and I was wondering if anyone could tell me more! Below are some pictures.

20180712_073905[1].jpg

20180712_073940[1].jpg

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Welcome to the Forum. :)

 

Not seeing a bite/pathology here - broken, crushed and weathered, maybe.

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This looks like it.might be just weathering as the ammonite was exposed to the elements.  However, damage to this area of the shell can also occur when crabs would break through the back of the living chamber to get at organic material after the ammonite died.

 

Don

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40 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Welcome to the Forum. :)

 

Not seeing a bite/pathology here - broken, crushed and weathered, maybe.

I agree with weathered. All natural.

Check these English bitten ammonites out

https://goo.gl/images/C2VAj8

On The Hunt For The Trophy Otodus!

 

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8 hours ago, FossilsAnonymous said:

I agree with weathered. All natural.

Check these English bitten ammonites out

https://goo.gl/images/C2VAj8

I noticed that the damage to Marlowe's ammonite is entirely in the phragmocone, as there are suture lines on either side of the damaged area.  This is inconsistent with feeding damage and supports natural weathering.

 

The paper you linked looks interesting, but it is behind a pay wall except for the abstract and one figure.  The damage in the figure seems to be very similar to damage ascribed to crab scavenging by other authors.  I wonder if they considered this possibility, or on what basis they decided against that explanation.

 

Don

 

 

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It does appear to be notched, left side first photo, as well as crushed. Whether bitten, crushed, or trampled it can only be conjecture what may have happened unless a tooth remains embedded. I have fossils which I think have evidence of being bitten. Fun to think about, hard to prove.

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This recently published book is only available in German, but perhaps it will be translated into English someday. At any rate it goes into great detail on recognizing and defining Paleopathology, including predator injuries, so I figured it's nevertheles worth posting a link to the download:

 

Helmut Keupp: Atlas zur Paläopathologie der Cephalopoden

 

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

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I couldn't find anything in the book resembling this ammonite but I have discovered a lot about others I have, it's a very interesting book -just a shame it's all in German!

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  • 3 months later...
4 hours ago, Marlowe said:

could anyone tell me what species it is?

I'm afraid I'm not familiar enough with gault clay ammonites, which I'm assuming this is, going by your earlier post here, but maybe this may be of help to you.           

 

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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@Bobby Rico may know the genus.

 

You mentioned it has pyrite where the damage is. We have pyrite here and often the pyrite oxidizes and that part of the fossil is lost. It just turns into a fine iron rust and disintegrates into dust.

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Thanks @KimTexan Kim 

No idea but I have looked though my books and asked a friend. The venter has strangely odd ribbing . Guessing either epihoplites or pos the very rare Neophlycticeras .   

 

 

 

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In answer to your question "What happened to this ammonite?"

 

You might want to sit down.

I am sorry to have to tell you this,

It died!

 

 

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On 21/10/2018 at 5:46 PM, Bobby Rico said:

epihoplites or pos the very rare Neophlycticeras .   

What did you think.

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9 hours ago, Bobby Rico said:

What did you think.

 

Lot of Hopplites in Gault Argiles. I think it is a good think to search is that direction but the keel seems different form Epihoplites and Neophlycticeras.

 

I will look in my books this evening to see if I can find something too.

 

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