Excellent Cretaceous Nautiloid Fossil from Madagascar

Cymatoceras Nautiloid

Phylum Mollusca, Class Cephalopoda, Subclass Nautiloidea, Order Nautilida, Family Cymatoceratidae

Geological Time: Cretaceous

Size (25.4 mm = 1 inch): 51 mm diameter

Fossil Site: Tulear, Madagascar

Fossil Code: PP22

Price: Sold


Description: A spectacular nautiloid from Madagascar which has been sagitally split and polished to show wonderful detail within. Most of the individual chambers are open and filled with greenish gray Calcite crystals, with the septa (divisions) between each chamber preserved as light gray Calcite, making for a superb display piece. The primitive suturing pattern distinguishes these cephalopods from the ammonites (I have posted it with theModern Living Nautilus ammonites as they are close relatives). This one shows the suturing well from the interior, making it a striking piece. Additionally, they have the siphuncule at the center of the chambers as opposed to the top as in the ammonites. It is visible here as the spiral seen in some chambers. The Nautilida have a rich evolutionary history which began in the early Devonian. The order suffered a drastic decline in the late Devonian, only to have an extensive radiation in the Carboniferous. They suffered less than some other orders at the end of the Permian, and did better than the ammonites by surviving the Cretaceous extinction, leaving one descendant, the modern-day Nautilus, of which there are 5 species. Nautiloids had stronger shells than the ammonites, and were capable of descending deeper than the ammonites could. Perhaps this allowed them to survive the disaster at the end of the Cretaceous. This is a fine example of a nautiloid from the Cretaceous deposits of Madagascar, one that is sure to be a fine addition to any collection.

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