Name : Orthoceras

　　Location : Sahara Desert, Morocco

　　Age : 450 Million Years Old

　　The Fossil you see here is what we call a fossil statue or sculpture

　　& is made up of many Orthoceras fossils carved out of solid stone

　　Orthoceras are extinct members of the cephalopod class. These primitive creatures are similar to the modern chambered nautilus, but grew a straight shell rather than a coiled one. Now extinct, the 345-450 year old Devonian age Orthoceras, meaning "straight horn", is an ancestor of the squid and octopus.

　　The Orthoceras were among the most advanced of the invertebrates having eyes, jaws and a sophisticated nervous system. They swam freely using a jet propulsion system squirting water from their bodies. They had tentacles and ink Sacks much like the present day squid. As they died, their shells accumulated in great numbers on the sea floor where they were aligned by currents, buried by sediments and transformed over the ages into stone by various physical and chemical processes.

　　Orthoceras fossils are the remains of an invertebrate with no backbone belonging to the Phylum Mollusca, they are broken down into classes and sub-classes. Orthoceras belongs to the class Cephalopoda. Other living members of this class are the Octopus, Squid and Chambered Nautilus. The name Cephalopoda means Head Foot referring to the fact that their feet or tentacles grow out of their heads.

　　The Phylum Mollusca is a broad grouping of animals that include snails, slugs, oysters, clams, octopus and squid.

　　The sub-class of Orthoceras is Nautiloidea. This really narrows the field. The only living member is the chambered nautilus. Extinct members of this subclass include the ammonites.

　　Of course the subclasses are broken down further into orders. Orthoceras belongs to the order Orthocerida. This order is characterized by there long straight conical shells. The shells can be smooth or ribbed.

　　You may select from other fossils that I have if you wish, the pictured is available but a large selection is available to choose from.

　　email or call Larry