The ammonoids, were marine organisms with external shell that contained cameras, formed by a mineral called aragonite, were predators and are related organisms with the current octopus, cuttlefish and squid.
Morphology of ammonites
The outer shell of these organisms was composed of aragonite (calcium carbonate mineral). In the shell you can differentiate three main parts, the protoconcha or initial chamber, also called ammonitella, the part that presents chambers called fragmocono, this part of the shell was communicated by a tube ventral travel called siphon or tube and siphon, the last camera, which no longer had a siphon, the room chamber, which is the region where the organism resided.
In the ammonoids, in general, the shell was coiled planiscopically on an axis, although also unrolled forms can be found.
Types and characteristics of ammonites
There are different types of ammonites classified into five different orders, Goniatitide, Ceratitide, Phylloceratide, Lytoceratide and Ammonitide.
In the following picture, you can observe the three most common:
They are differentiated especially by the typo of suture patterns. So to understand better, according to the drawing they are of one order or another.
As an image is better than 1000 words, here are some drawings to make it fun to learn from this earthcache.
Fossilization process
In this diagram, the fossilization process is shown graphically, which we can summarize in three main phases:
A-. Death and necrolysis of the animal,
B-. Burying
C-. Fossil diagénesis
D-. Exposition
Depending on the type of fossilization process of the shells and depending on the characteristics of the deposit environment, we can find them preserved as internal mold, external mold and impressions.
Please send me the answers to the following questions. You can log without waiting for my reply, if a problem occurs we will try to find a solution together.
Log this cache as a "found it" and send me your answers via my profile or via message on geocaching.com, and I will contact you in case of problem.
1-. Look for a well-defined ammonite and point to one of the septas (partitions).
2-. What is the diameter of the largest ammonite you can find?
3-. Can you tell me why we can not see the sutures in these ammonites?