About Fossil

The Orthoceras Fossil has been found dating back to the Ordovician period (400+ million years ago) and are the earliest recognisable animals. They are ancestors to the modern day squid.

Even though they were among the earliest forms of life, this class of nautiloid is still considered to be one of the most intelligent forms of ocean life. The Orthoceras ranged in size, from a few inches in length, to over six feet. They could swim as well as crawl on the ocean floor. By filling the chambers in their shells with air, they could float through the seas propelling themselves by squirting jets of water.

As they died, their shells accumulated upon the ocean floor, then covered by sediments they transformed into stone over the ages. Having a long straight shell their fossils have an iridescent gemlike quality when polished. Orthoceras are commonly found in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

Fossils (from Latin fossus, literally having been dug up) are the mineralised or otherwise preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms. In ancient times they were believed to be a gift from the stars and were revered by many cultures. Because of their age, they have been used throughout the centuries as a talisman for protection and long life.

Orthoceras fossils facts:

1. An ancient mollusc is known as Orthoceras that lived more than 400 million years ago.
2. Orthoceras along with related orthodontic nautiloid cephalopods are often perplexed with the apparently the same Baculites and related Cretaceous orthodontic ammonoids.
3. In the beginning, Orthoceras allude to all straight-shell nautiloids, called an "ortho core". But later on research on their internal structures, cameral deposits, the siphuncle, and many others, showed that these in point of fact belong to a number of groups, even of different orders.
4. Nautiloidea the subclass of ortho ceras narrows the field. Chambered Nautilus is the only living member and the extinct members of this subclass are the ammonites.
5. Fossils are believed to increase the life span of the wearing individual and make him confident.
6. Orthoceratidae is the family name given though some sources that first used to call the family name Michelinoceratidae but later disagreed with the time period. Later the name is given according to the geographic location in which they are found or comes from.