Undescribed Elegant Heteromorph Ammonite from New Location

Description: This is one of my finest acquisitions from the 2012 Tucson Mineral and Fossil Show. For the first time, a very few of these gorgeous Heteromorphs were offered for sale. Uncoiled ammonites are perhaps one of the most aesthetically pleasing of all cephalopods. These are quite interesting in the fact that they are from the Devonian. Most heteromorphs are from the Mesozoic, in particular, the Late Cretaceous. This one is vey well preserved and curated. It was prepared from the surrounding matrix in which it was found. It was not reattached. The specimen has a mottled brown color, is 3D and stands upright on its matrix base. This is one of the two I was able to obtain. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first one offered on line to the public.

Heteromorphs (different-shaped) had uncoiled shells. While little is known of their mode of life, their uncoiled shells would have precluded fast swimming. They may have wobbled their way through the water column with out-splayed tentacles, sweeping whatever came within their reach into their hungry mouths.