#real fossil ammonite shell

[uk-fossils]

EUASPIDOCERAS tenuispinatum Fossil Ammonite, Upper Oxfordian, Jurassic France | Authentic Specimen + COA

EUASPIDOCERAS tenuispinatum Fossil Ammonite – Upper Oxfordian Stage, Late Jurassic, Vienne, France

A striking and scientifically notable ammonite, this specimen of Euaspidoceras tenuispinatum hails from the Upper Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic Period, approximately 159 to 154 million years ago. Recovered from the fossil-rich limestone deposits in Vienne, France, this ammonite showcases exceptional preservation and displays the characteristic ornate ribbing and spination of the genus.

Fossil Type & Species:

Type: Invertebrate Fossil (Ammonite Shell)

Species: Euaspidoceras tenuispinatum

Order: Ammonitida

Superfamily: Perisphinctoidea

Family: Aspidoceratidae

Described by: Oppel, 1863

Geological & Stratigraphic Details:

Location: Vienne, France

Formation: Upper Jurassic limestone and marl sequences

Geological Stage: Upper Oxfordian (Late Jurassic)

Age: ~159–154 million years ago

Biozone: Likely from the Perisphinctes ammonite biozone (subject to locality specifics)

Depositional Environment: Shallow marine shelf with well-oxygenated carbonate sedimentation conducive to fossil preservation

Morphology & Features: This Euaspidoceras tenuispinatum specimen features:

Globose, involute shell with prominent radial ribbing

Delicate but well-defined spines or tubercles along the ribs

Broad whorls with deep grooves between ridges

Fine suture patterns if visible or polished

Natural coloration in shades of cream, grey, or beige, sometimes highlighted by fossil matrix contrast

Notable: Euaspidoceras species are known for their spiny ornamentation and are prized by collectors for their dramatic appearance and scientific relevance. E. tenuispinatum in particular is an excellent biostratigraphic indicator and provides key data for understanding ammonite evolution in the Late Jurassic of Europe.

Specimen Details:

Origin: Vienne, France

Species: Euaspidoceras tenuispinatum

Fossil Type: Ammonite Shell (Invertebrate)

Geological Stage: Upper Oxfordian, Late Jurassic

Size Reference: Scale rule square = 1cm (please refer to the photo for exact dimensions)

Note: The photographed specimen is the exact item you will receive

Authenticity & Quality: This fossil is 100% genuine and carefully selected for its display quality and scientific integrity. It is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity and has not been artificially reconstructed or enhanced.

Why Choose This Fossil? Perfect for:

Advanced fossil collectors

Scientific and educational displays

Ammonite enthusiasts and stratigraphy students

Decorative natural history displays

Shipping & Packaging: We use eco-friendly and secure packaging. Your fossil will be safely wrapped and shipped with full tracking to ensure it arrives in excellent condition.

Add a visually spectacular and scientifically significant ammonite to your collection with this rare Euaspidoceras tenuispinatum from the Jurassic seas of Vienne, France.

All of our Fossils are 100% Genuine Specimens & come with a Certificate of Authenticity.

[anomallite]

Ammonites Galore!! There are so many unique and crazy shell shapes in the fossil record! Here are a few of my favorites! It’s a real shame they went extinct :(

[the-s1lly-corner]

Participation Reward (Ending 5) (Shelly x Reader)

Poll under fic to determine next rounds winner as always! asides from bobette (and bassie for the side line line up) thats all the mains written and completed! wowza! shouldnt be surprised that they were going to have the most eyes on them but LORD!!! was thinking id write at least one or two non mains before doing the main 5!!/lh

Notes: gn toon reader, possible ooc, pre game, possible ooc thanks to me not writing much for shelly yet SOOOOOBS, shes definitely got a thing for you but she doesnt want to rush and ruin things, you come out the other side with a budding friendship at least, admin knows nothing about fossils you can tell i danced around that im sorry shelly if you were real id let you infodump and enlighten me

Word count: 2.2k

CWs: none

Everyone’s eyes glue onto you as you reach your hand into the opening of the sack and pull out…

Whatever your fingers wrapped around… it was soft and almost silky. The top was round, almost ruffled… your fingers close around the more firm top of whatever the item was before drawing it out; carefully, in case it were anything delicate. 

And for the first few seconds it wasn’t immediately obvious to you who it belonged to- and it would have remained that way if the golden medallion didn’t hold the image of a spiraled shell. 

In an instant your eyes snap to the crowd of toons around you to try to pinpoint exactly where the owner was. Whether you missed her or her shorter frame- which was partially made so thanks to the flattened top of her head- slipped from your line of sight… you didn’t immediately find Shelly in the crowd. 

Not until you held the ribbon higher in the air, only then did the main step forward. 

And she looked more than a little happy that her item was drawn. Coincidence or not, she was chosen for something and she was over the moon. 

“Ah-” the ammonite nearly tripped on her feet during her rush towards your side. “That’s mine-” 

Shelly offered a soft thanks as you passed her ribbon back. A part of you wondered if she was going to put it back in the sack to go for a second round… but it was tucked away into one of the side pockets of her skirt… you didn’t even know she had pockets. 

Neat.

“Right-” Dandy caught your attention again as the quick exchange died. His face was… hard to read. The crease of his brow looked out of place against the look in his eye and the smile on his face. It didn’t look right. 

“Well! I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how much time you’ve both got- better make it count!” Dandy straightened up a bit as his eyes bounced between you and Shelly. 

“R-right! Right come on-” Shelly perked up. Her hand reached for you- before stopping in the air. The split second tending of her fingers wasn’t lost on you as her hand fell to her side. “Come on-” She repeated in a more controlled and calmer tone. 

“Right… coming..” You take one last glance to the flower. “Gift shop?”

He hummed his confirmation, and so the two of you left the rest of the party behind to walk down the hall to the open gift shop. Fake snow barely caught your eye as you allowed Shelly to step through the open storage room door. 

“You think Dandy stole one of the staff’s keys to open this up?” Shelly asked as her eyes scanned across the room. She faltered at the sight of the sheer bulk of merchandise holding her face. Dust covered. 

“Hm?” 

You close the door behind you and squint against the darkness. Your eyes almost hurt trying to figure out what all was in front of you. A blind grab for the light switch revealed nothing. Either there wasn’t one in the room or it was elsewhere. You allow your hand to slide down awkwardly down the wall.

“Nevermind-! that doesn’t sound like something Dandy would do anyway-” Shelly spoke up again. A light frown couldn’t help but tug itself onto your face but you don’t push her to backtrack. A few clumsy steps are taken forward and you settle yourself into the nearest corner. At least the light creeping through the bottom of the door offered something for your eyes to work with. Just like Shelly’s plushes, the floor was absolutely caked in dust save for a track worked through. From the employees, most likely. 

“So…” 

A few seconds had passed before Shelly decided to break the silence. She pressed herself against a metal door somewhere a few feet in front of you; to your left. 

“Is this your first time playing?” 

A sort of awkward noise rumbled somewhere in the back of your throat. “It is, actually… is it… yours?”

The air tasted wrong. Regardless of it was the lack of life made visual in the form of particles or the way you both shuffled around in your own spaces… or a cringey combination of both… your tongue stuck uncomfortably to the roof of your mouth. 

In a weird way, Shelly seemed the most likely out of the mains to enter such a game. There wasn’t any real reasoning for your idea outside of her eagerness to try to join in on any group activities. 

It seemed too… much for Astro. Too time wasting for Vee, and too uncomfortable for Sprout. Dandy… also seemed like the type to enjoy such a game regardless of what intentions he had with it. He always tended to enjoy the games he played with friends. 

You didn’t even notice Shelly had begun to speak again until she dismissed whatever it was and asked you something.

“No- no wait repeat that.” your tone came out squeaked and more forced than you meant. Your throat seizes against the air and your muscles. “Sorry- I just… I mean…” 

Shelly stared expectantly at you… and for a second, there seemed to be something in her eyes that betrayed something. Hurt, maybe. 

You didn’t mean to ignore her. 

“I just zoned out a little is all-” 

You nearly ask your own question, but the reminder that she had been talking before is enough to convince you to drop it for now. 

“-what did you say?”

Shelly continued to stare for a few more seconds- and then…

“It’s nothing, really- I just wanted to know if you had anything planned after this game,” her usual smile tugged back across her face, followed by a small shrug. The motion seemed weird coming from her. You’d usually see something like that from Sprout. 

Or maybe Shelly was a shrugger. 

Her shoulder stiffened midair and sank back down. “I heard you helped Sprout help with the cookies, that’s pretty neat… I didn’t know you were into baking,” 

You sucked in your cheek and ran the flesh over your clenched teeth. “I’m nowhere near as good as him and Cosmo, really- they were both hovering over my shoulder the whole time to make sure I didn’t mess anything up again-” 

Shelly leaned in slightly. “Again?”

The tight line that made your mouth cracked into a sheepish smile accompanied by a dull huff. “I… mixed up the salt and sugar the last time they let me help…” 

It was… a rather ugly mistake, too. You were nearly certain Sprout’s head would’ve dehydrated on the spot the moment he had bitten into your cookie. 

At least Shelly found some humor in it- her best attempts to suppress the laugh just barely failed her. 

“They look similar, okay! And it’s not my fault they put them in those new storage tubs. They should’ve labeled them if they didn’t want a mixup like that-” You lean into her amusement. 

“I’m sure you get your bones all mixed up too-”

“Fossils,” She corrected. 

You nearly lightheartedly rolled your eyes but something in the back of your mind made the motion come to a screeching halt. 

“Yeah, well… you mostly have bones and stuff- don’t think I’ve seen any…” your hand waves around in the air but the motion does nothing to jog your memory. “Those… what’s it called when like… plants and stuff get fossilized?”

“...I think it’s still just fossils… now if you mean fossilization, there’s loads of ways something can be preserved..!” 

Your hand fell back to your side. 

“Huh… neat.. Thought it was just like… getting buried and pressurized- you’ll have to tell me more about it sometime- maybe not… now…” 

Her smile seemed to freeze.

“...I’m sure you’re gonna want more than seven minutes to tell me all about it… I don’t think seven minutes could do any of it justice, anyway,” 

She perked up slightly.

“Yeah! Yeah- Maybe… whenever you’re free! I don’t have much going on- Tisha may come along, too if you’re alright with that,” 

And finally your smile becomes genuine to match hers. “I don’t see why not… speaking of Tisha… I’ve seriously gotta make it up to her, made a real mess of the kitchen earlier-” 

The mention of the kitchen brought you back to the cookies… and the cookies backtracked you to Shelly’s question.

“Aaaaaand to answer your question- that I totally didn’t get sidetracked from, I… actually don’t know. I mean of course there’s the party, but… so many toons. So many things going on and things to choose from.. And I’ve got no idea if Dandy’s gonna do some other games… you know?” 

Another nod from the shell. 

“I understand… well… if it gets too much you can come sit down with me and Tisha- Yatta might be joining us… she’s been asking me to show her some sewing tips- and Sprout said he tore his scarf, so…” She trailed off. Her hands busied themselves with the fabric of her skirt; swishing it gently in the air and adding wrinkles to it. 

“You can sew?” 

Shelly’s hands jolted to a stop… then resumed their movements. 

“Yeah- I’m no expert at it but it’s been nice having another hobby! Maybe I’ll pick another up soon, but… I’ve no idea which-”

You hum in response. 

“Maybe we could find one together? I’ve been wanting to find something extra to do… bakings fun and all but sometimes the kitchen can get packed with me, Sprout, and Boxten… and Ginger… running around-” 

“I heard Boxten’s taken up baking… how’s he doing with that?”

The corner of your mouth tugs to the side. Your hand waves.

So-so. 

“He wasn’t with us today but I heard from Cosmo that he’s… doing better-! Actually… now that I think about it- I think he mixed salt and sugar too…” You trailed off. 

“Yeah?” She tilted her head. A voice in the back of your head wondered how easy it would be to stack things on top of her head. You wondered if she’d let you if you asked. 

“Think so…” You shift around. “Maybe you could show me some sewing too,” 

“Or… I could sew everything up with you- only if you want me to, sewings not for everyone- not that I don’t think you’d be good at it if you tried-” 

“I might take you up on that offer if I don’t pick it up quick… not the best with my hands and between you and me… the needles are a little intimidating,” You snicker. The other toon relaxed. 

“I have a few thimbles on me if you need them… I don’t use them but… it’s always nice just in case,” 

Your eyes dart to the pockets on the sides of her skirts again. “Always handy huh?”

“Mhm! I always try to keep something just in case someone needs it- bandaids for cuts… candy for pick me ups…” she trailed off. 

…

“You got any candy to share right now?” 

You were only half joking. 

“I don’t… I gave the last to a visitor… they looked like they needed some,” 

You hum with a nod. “That’s alright! My sweet tooth can wait-”

And your vague craving for sweetness didn’t need to wait for much longer. 

Just as the conversation was about to continue to the next topic a series of knocks pulled you out of it. It felt like the time flew by and crawled agonizingly slow at the same time… but Dandy’s voice on the other side alerting you that time was up only cemented that this moment was over. 

“Guess that’s our cue to wrap this up-” Shelly pushed herself off of the wall.

“It doesn’t have to be, I don’t think I’m going to enter for another round… honestly I mostly went along with it because Dandy put me on the spot- can’t let him think I’m some scaredy cat you know?” You copy her and push yourself away from the corner. Her mouth worked itself for a few seconds. “Besides, I’m more than satisfied that I got you as my first taste of the game- I don’t know why we don’t talk more… I wanna change that,” 

Shelly’s mouth opened, but no sound came out aside from a single cut off syllable. Her second attempt wasn’t so fruitless… excitement thinly wrapped in casualness formed her tone. 

“Yeah-”

“Come on you two! There’s still other people who wanna play-” Dandy’s voice cut right through Shelly’s softer one. You scoff under your breath and swing the door open. The flower still faltered under the remains of the glare you tried to hide. Your brows still tensed together and admittedly, your grip on the door handle was rough. 

“We heard you the first time,” 

“Ah-” 

You try harder to force yourself to smooth your expression over. “Why don’t we grab some dessert and go chat somewhere, yeah? We can wait for Tish and Yatta if you’d like,” You shoot Shelly a glance over your shoulder.

The main remained silent for two seconds… before nodding. “You should show me what you made, I’ll be your unbiased judge,” 

The bounce in her step gave you the sense she wasn’t as unbiased as you thought she’d be… but you made no comment about it as the two of you slipped by the stunned flower to the dessert table… you could only hope you didn’t repeat your past kitchen mistake…

[reddpenn]

Here is a song about my rock collection! It is a tune you probably recognize. Lyrics under the cut!

Permit me to parade my petrological anthology Collected in my quest for comprehensive mineralogy. Their shininess is second to their science and lithology. This song’s about my rock collection! Man, I love geology.

Oh, amethyst is purple ‘cause of iron, isn’t that real neat? And citrine is just amethyst plus lots of geothermal heat. And smoky quartz is brown from radiation and aluminum… Inclusions such as chlorite, rutile, goethite can bloom in ‘em!

(Inclusions such as chlorite, rutile, goethite can bloom in ‘em!) (Inclusions such as chlorite, rutile, goethite can bloom in ‘em!) (Inclusions such as chlorite, rutile, goethite can bloom in bloom in ‘em!)

Oh, sapphire and ruby, well, they’re both corundum chemically And emerald, aquamarine, and morganite are beryl. See, Historically each color had a different etymology And now they’re in my rock collection! Man, I love geology.

(Historically each color had a different etymology) (And now they’re in my rock collection! Man, I love geology.)

My fluorite is a favorite when it’s glowing under UV light. But should it be from Rogerley it changes when the sun is bright. And if you like fluorescence, put this fact inside your cranium: Chalcedony glows green because of ions of uranium!

When making porcelain vases, you need kyanite that’s powdered fine And celestine’s in fireworks and toothpaste such as Sensodyne. There’s mica in your drywall, and the litterbox has zeolites… Your bones and teeth and kidney stones are all hydroxylapatites!

(Your bones and teeth and kidney stones are all hydroxylapatite!) (Your bones and teeth and kidney stones are all hydroxylapatite!) (Your bones and teeth and kidney stones are all hydroxyl-apple-apa-tite!)

When dating strata layers ammonites can be real helpful guys. The sutures in their shell can tell how long ago they fossilized! And artifacts obsidian track trade in archeology. Those ancient folks had rock collections, man I love geology!

(And artifacts obsidian track trade in archeology.) (Those ancient folks had rock collections, man I love geology!)

Oh, did you know that peridot, as super hot peridotite Makes up the planet’s mantle and is also found in meteorites? Which make lechatelierite when it’s sandy soil that they strike. Another form of that is made by lightning, that’s called fulgurite!

Well, garnet makes the best dodecahedrons that you’ve ever seen. Prismatic crystals with three sides are quite unique to tourmaline. A certain mine in Spain produces pyrite that is cubical… Lepidolite can be botryoidal, but that’s quite unusual.

(Lepidolite can be botryoidal, but that’s quite unusual!) (Lepidolite can be botryoidal, but that’s quite unusual!) (Lepidolite can be botryoidal, but that’s quite unusu-usu-al!)

My knowledge of earth sciences is only as an amateur. But hounding and collecting rocks ain’t only for a connoisseur. And for my love of minerals I’m making no apology. Cause rocks are fun for everyone and man, I love geology!

(And for my love of minerals I’m making no apology.) (Cause rocks are fun for everyone and man, I love geology!)

[cantsayidont]

September 2020. Not to be confused with the Nicola Griffith sci-fi novel, the Francis Lee film AMMONITE is a slow-moving, grey drama, positing a romantic and sexual relationship between paleontologist Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan), who later became a noted geologist. (They were friends in real life, although the movie's depiction of their relationship is speculative.)

Like the very similar PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE, the story wants to make a feminist statement about the social and professional marginalization of women (Anning is frustrated that the members of the Royal Geological Society — which she isn't eligible to join — are getting great mileage out of her work without compensation or credit, as she lives hand to mouth selling fossils and shells in a little shop), but it's also determined to separate its feminist thesis from socioeconomic class in a way that ultimately feels very uneasy.

Winslet is quite good, but the script doesn't ever really get into Anning's head, so her two main modes are prickliness and wlw repression of the "I am, regrettably, attracted to you, so I must ask that you immediately go far away and never speak of this again" variety. A subplot about Anning having previously had a fling with an older woman (Fiona Shaw) feels underdeveloped, and while the film centers on a particularly vivid sex scene, its version of the Anning-Murchison relationship isn't really convincing. It also ends on an odd note that doesn't seem to jibe with the fact that the real women remained friends for most of their lives, if more in correspondence than in person. CONTAINS LESBIANS? Indeed. VERDICT: If you're not just watching for that scene, it's typical underwhelming bourgeois art house filmmaking.

[harperd]

My Shelly design :P cause I am her just human form I am Shelly I am Shelly.

Here is some info, since she's an ammonite she's semi aquatic and I gave her a spaded tail similar to a Spinosaurus for better swimming capabilities, not visible here but she has little hair frills on her back between her shoulder blades similar to some depictions of protoceratopses and tiny horns like a ceratosaurus ^_^ gave her some harder shell spots on her arms and legs that reminds me of how I usually draw triceratopses and a little Spinosaurus tooth necklace (you can buy real Spinosaurus teeth!! It's so cool...)

I'm trying not to be too hyper about her but dinosaurs have been my thing since I was five and when my friend told me "yeah she's actually a fossil" I lost my shit

Frills visible under cut

Just a few doodles on a test I should've been doing but yeah you can see the frills here

[remember-my-name-mitski-kinnie]

My Opinions on ships (Part 3): 🌙Moonshell🐚

If you don’t know, this is a Dandy’s world ship that includes two characters: Astro and Shelly.

• Who are they ?

Astro alreafy has been introduced on part 2. Shelly is a fossil (ammonite), confirmed as female, who mikes dinosaurs and loves talkkng about them.

• Why are they shipped ?

Unlike the 2 ships i have told about, there’s no real specific reasons, besides its an (healthier) alternative of Shellvision (In general), and also considered as a "rarepair", but isn’t that unpopular.

• What’s your personal opinion

It is one of personal fav ship, even tho there’s no specific reasons at all, but it was the first ship i discovered after ginding fruitcake and found comfort in it.

• Bonus Fact

Moonshell is also a shell that can reach 5.6 cm (2.2 inches) in length and 4.3 cm (1.7 inches) in height, and have a spiral form.

[iattachtooeasilytocartoons]

You can't say "I could list my top 5 extinct animals" and then not list it

Hell list as many tops as you want I'm curious!

omg okay okay okay

extinct -

1. Quetzalcoatlus - they’re the size of giraffes and they FLEW.

2. any type of titanosaur - saw the one in the ANHM and maybe cried a little

3. dilophosaurus - even though the frills were probably not real, i still love them, also seen one of their skulls in person and it is beautiful

4. baryonyx - this is entirely because of camp cretaceous i will not lie

5. Quaggas - just found out about them today, they’re a subspecies of zebras that went extinct in 1878 and they’re currently trying to bring them back

i’m also gonna rank my cephalopods bc i can

5. Squid - love em, just kinda boring other than the giant squid

4. Nautilus - They’re beautiful, others just rank higher

3. Ammonites - Extinct, i have two ammonite fossils, one full and another split into two halves

2. Cuttlefish - They use their chromatophores (the color changing cells) to hypnotize their prey along with camouflage, i highly recommend searching it up it’s so interesting

1. OCTOPUS - boring, i know, but they’re INSANE. i mean, they can fit through any hole their beak can fit through because they’re the only cephalopod without a shell, they camouflage not just with color, but also with texture and movements! they can looks like rock, anemone, kelp floating by, and other animals. plus they’re so fucking smart, they learned patterns and after like two days of being exposed to it could mimick a checkerboard pattern, even though that doesn’t occur in nature. that shows that their camouflage isn’t innate, it’s LEARNED

[rainbow-scarab]

The Ancient Sea of Hallownest: Part 2

The Geology of Hallownest

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4

<Theory Masterpost>

Hallownest is built on top of death. And it wasn’t just the casualties from the infection and vessel plan. The very rock that Hallownest is built into is entirely full of fossils.

From the top to the bottom, in every layer of Hallownest you can find some sort of shells or bones. The currency is made out of fossils. The houses are made out of some kind of shells or bones. Corpses of giant creatures can be found in various locations.

I had to wonder, what were all these fossils that you find everywhere in the background? They don’t look like any of the creatures in Hallownest. For instance, some of them just look like straight up bones, as you would find in vertebrates rather than the invertebrates bugs are supposed to be, with their exoskeletons.

There are a couple examples of bugs in game, however, such as the brooding mawlek, or the dead creature in Mato’s house, where the bugs of Hallownest do seem to have skeletons, so I’m taking it as a quirk of Team Cherry’s worldbuilding.

What caught my eye the most though were all the round shells you see as fossils. I wondered at first if they might be snail shells. They are often in a spiral shape, after all. But I’ve never seen snail shells quite like that.

The snails in game do have these spiral shapes, but their shells don’t seem to keep that same tight form as the fossil shells, nor their ridges. I considered the shells on the shore of the Blue Lake as well, presumably from some species that still lives or at least did before the infection, but they seem even less similar to those fossils.

Many of the fossils are spiral, and some are more like concentric circles. Some definitely have a spherical look and I’m not entirely sure what to make of them, like if they’re related to the Black Egg or arcane eggs.

I was beginning to wonder if some of these fossils might be more aquatic in nature. Like seashells you might find on the shore. Or perhaps something more ancient, like ammonites, an extinct type of mollusk and distant cousin of snails.

All fossils are by definition pretty old, formed with the rock, so something like ammonites would make sense. And as I looked through images, the forms of ammonites look similar to a lot of the fossils in Hallownest, with their fairly tight spirals and their ridges. Ammonites are also very common fossils in the real world, and certainly one of the most famous. For other marine fossils I’m less certain.

Now, I’m not a marine biologist or paleontologist or geologist or anything. I just like to read about science and watch documentaries. But what I have learned over the years was coming into my head thinking about the possibilities of marine fossils. Not just of the fossils themselves, but of the kind of environment they would come from and how they would get to their current location.

In other words, I started examining the possibility that Hallownest used to be ocean.

The most common type of cave (in real life) is one formed from limestone, which is a sedimentary rock formed from ocean sediments. It is…mostly made of ocean life! Tiny skeletons and other biological material that fall to the ocean floor, build up, and compress into rock over time. It often preserves fossils within it. Caves are commonly made of the stuff because limestone is easier to dissolve than many other rocks, so groundwater and such can create caves when it comes into contact with the rock over time. This link has an overview of the formation of limestone, the fossils within, and limestone caves.

After the rock is formed, plate tectonics can move it elsewhere, and what was ocean floor can be raised up into land and mountains. I will just be assuming this process.

The fossil distribution throughout Hallownest is not uniform. In the Ancient Basin and the Abyss, there’s almost a complete domination of ammonite-like fossils. But that’s not true of everywhere. The look of the rock and the fossils changes, depending on how deep you are underground.

Some of the fossils in the upper layers are more similar to ocean life, with quite a few of them being in spiral shapes. But as I’ve said, some of them are more skeletal. In one case we have the inclusion of a modern species, a goam. But it’s still a fossil.

Before I can highlight the significance, let’s go over how fossils are formed:

The most common method of fossilization is called permineralization, or petrification. After an organism's soft tissues decay in sediment, the hard parts — particularly the bones — are left behind. Water seeps into the remains, and minerals dissolved in the water seep into the spaces within the remains, where they form crystals. These crystallized minerals cause the remains to harden along with the encasing sedimentary rock. In another fossilization process, called replacement, the minerals in groundwater replace the minerals that make up the bodily remains after the water completely dissolves the original hard parts of the organism.

In other words, the fossils are formed alongside the rock around them, the remains of creatures themselves turning into rock. Fossils cannot just form in place, by the remains just sitting around. Perhaps you could have mummified remains, but not a fossil.

In the case of the goam, it’s even said by the text to be within the rock. Goams do naturally burrow in the ground, but again, that alone would not cause fossil formation after death.

Goams might be a very ancient species. I would say they do even bear a resemblance to marine worms, many of which are predators who pop out of burrows in the ocean floor. Could the goams have lived in a marine environment and transitioned to a land one? Perhaps.

I was looking at some images of the Wanderer’s Journal (don’t own it myself—thank you @ruthlesslistener), and saw this bit about all the…bug “statues”:

…What?

What is this implying?????

What could possibly happen to corpses to turn them into fossils, or fossil-like statues!?

I tried to survey these “statues” in the game, as well as other corpses and fossils.

The statues are found in diverse locations. Some of them are in remote locations or behind breakable walls. Were the statues placed there? Or did bugs somehow just die in place there and something weird happened to them?

Some fossils in the rock look somewhat like these bugs, as I circled in red above. Though I’m not sure they look quite close enough to the form of intelligent bugs.

I also compared the corpses in Resting Grounds. They look to have wrappings around them. Some of the statues look like they could have wrappings, but not all of them.

I do find the statues to be odd, if they were actually formed from real bugs, in that their bases don’t look like naturally standing bugs. They look like they were made to be wide bases for stability, rather than the rounder forms standing on legs of modern bugs.

None of this really touches on how such statues might be formed, if they were bug fossils. Something supernatural perhaps. I started entertaining some wild notions about the caverns filling with volcanic ash (that later eroded away). As if perhaps, when the Radiance may have fought the Ancient Civilization (not to get too into this lol), perhaps she fought them with….volcano powers……as an extension of the sun motif….. Yeah I dunno my thoughts were getting pretty out there, there’s nothing to indicate such a possibility.

I had to wonder if some of these fossils could have been added later. If perhaps even all the rock above the lower levels was a later addition. –Er, regardless of the reality here, the layers are still distinct. But I mean, I was considering that after the land was already formed and not an ocean anymore, the lower caverns formed, and people living there and everything...after that, perhaps something weird happened and the upper parts of the land formed, or they gained their fossils. Not so sure about this though, as some of the upper fossils are still of marine creatures. And. And that's nothing like how normal geology should work.

It’s possible that something supernatural happened, and the remains of later creatures got mixed up in the rock somehow. Yes, after all my explanations of rock and fossil formation, it might have to be thrown out the window. I do think Team Cherry was inspired by many things of real science. But just as their bug designs are more suggestions of bugs than faithful counterparts to real creatures, they may take great artistic liberty.

I don’t have that many answers for these mysteries. But I do think we can think of the lower levels of rock in Hallownest as distinct from the upper levels, the lower levels being solidly marine, ammonite-like fossils.

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4

<Theory Masterpost>

[fossilageminerals]

How to Spot Authentic Ammolite: A Buyer’s Guide

Okay, let's begin at the basics: purchasing gemstones. First of all, gemstones need to be natural, especially those as rare and stunning as ammolite. This buyer's guide will give you a heads-up on the ammolite world by providing you with all the information that you should know to identify authentic ammolite gems, gemstones, and stones.

What Do You Understand by Ammolite?

Among the few gemstones offered with its own excitement spark, ammolite is extracted from the fossilized shell of ammonites, which are classified as being part of a cephalopod group. Its iridescence and bright colors are gorgeous, hence the need to include it in many jewelry. But with increased demand comes increased circulation of fakes and synthetics; some essential things to look for in establishing the authenticity of an ammolite gem are presented below.

Key Characteristics of Genuine Ammolite

Color Play and Luster

Real ammolite gemstones demonstrate an amazing display of colors, ranging from greens to reds, blues, and purples. This dancing play of color is called "iridescence," which is characteristic of natural ammolite. When looking at a piece of ammolite stone, you should see:

Intensity: Color should be strong and alive

Dimension: Ammolite is often characterized by multiple levels of color, giving the stone a three-dimensional effect.

Surface Luster: Authentic ammolite would have a natural luster and not a plastic appearance.

2. Texture and Surface Features

A real ammolite gemstone should have an even surface with smoothness; however, it may carry inclusions or other imperfections that give the stone character. Be looking for these features:

Natural Imperfections: Authentic ammolite would seem to have slight aberrations or have patterns, and this would be evidence that it was naturally formed.

Transparency: While ammolite is partially translucent, it cannot be transparent.

3. Weight and Density

Ammolite gemstones weigh relatively light compared to the weight of other comparable gemstones. If you are looking at a gem ammolite, be sure to pay attention to:

Weight: If the stone is too light, then it likely is synthetic or an imitation.

Density Test: Natural ammolite has a specific gravity of 1.2 to 1.5. Weigh the stone relative to size, if possible, too.

4. Documentation and Authenticity

Ask for any documentation when you purchase your ammolite gem. A dealer will guarantee that the stone is authentic with a document stating so. Here's what to watch for:

Gemological Reports: Certification reports from laboratories that are well known to verify that the stone is genuine ammolite.

Detailed Descriptions: The actual certification would be an ammolite gemstone with a clear description stating its origin and quality.

How to Buy the Stone

Ammolite purchase individuals have to get an idea of whom to acquire the gemstone. Following are the various ways through which a person could get the best vendor.

Reputation: Choose a reputable seller that has at least some kind of history in the world of gemstones, preferably with high scores in customer reviews.

Transparency: The reputed seller must provide information about the sourcing of the ammolite stones and proper descriptions of the particular stones on sale.

Return Policy: The return policy of the seller is an important one in case the gem fails to meet your expectations.

Conclusion

To collect real ammolite gems, keen eyes and a bit of information about its wonderful features are required. Compare colors, textures, weights, and official certificates, and then you can confidently choose the wonderful ammolite gem for your collection. Make sure you purchase from reputable distributors to guarantee it's a natural beauty.

To learn more about ammolite gemstones and to view their collection, connect with Fossil Age Minerals.

[eclecticcollectics]

This vibrant Sunset Moth necklace was just listed to the shop!

Accentuated with a coffin-shaped Aura Opal doublet, beautifully reflecting the rainbow of colors of the wings, along with real Ammonite fossil with Welo Opal set delicately in the center of the shell, and another teardrop-shaped Welo Opal placed perfectly between the tails of the hindwings! What do you think of all the colors? 🌈⚰️✨

[uk-fossils]

Leptosphinctes leptus Fossil Ammonite – Middle Bajocian, Jurassic – Caen, France – Alice Purnell Collection – 100% Genuine with Certificate

This listing features a genuine Leptosphinctes leptus fossil ammonite from the Middle Bajocian Stage of the Jurassic Period, dating back approximately 170 to 168 million years ago. This beautiful specimen was discovered in Caen, France, and is part of the highly regarded Alice Purnell Collection, known for high-quality, curated fossil specimens.

Leptosphinctes leptus is a member of the family Perisphinctidae and is recognised by its relatively involute shell, fine and dense ribbing, and compressed whorl section. These marine cephalopods were free-swimming organisms that thrived in shallow seas, playing an important role in the Jurassic marine ecosystem as agile predators.

This specimen shows clear ribbing and whorl definition, with natural preservation in matrix, making it an ideal display piece for collectors or educational institutions.

Geological Context: The Middle Bajocian is part of the Dogger epoch of the Jurassic Period and is renowned for its rich marine fossil record, especially ammonites. The area surrounding Caen in northern France is well known for its Jurassic limestone and marl deposits, which frequently yield well-preserved ammonite specimens that are essential to biostratigraphic studies.

Key Details:

Species: Leptosphinctes leptus (Fossil Ammonite)

Fossil Type: Extinct marine cephalopod

Age: Middle Bajocian, Jurassic (~170–168 million years ago)

Location Found: Caen, France

Provenance: From the Alice Purnell Collection

Size: See photo with scale cube (1cm squares) for full sizing

Condition: Excellent preservation, natural matrix, visible shell morphology

Authenticity: Supplied with a Certificate of Authenticity

Photo: The actual specimen shown in the listing is what you will receive

Scientific & Collector Value: Leptosphinctes leptus is an excellent index fossil for the Bajocian and is used by paleontologists to correlate Jurassic rock layers. Its distinct morphology and provenance from a known locality such as Caen enhance its value. The inclusion in the Alice Purnell Collection further guarantees the fossil’s significance and authenticity.

All of our Fossils are 100% Genuine Specimens & come with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Fast & Secure Shipping – All items are carefully packed and dispatched quickly for safe delivery.

Add a beautifully preserved example of Jurassic marine life to your collection with this Leptosphinctes leptus ammonite fossil from Caen, France.

[katarinanavane]

I finally finished my Magnus Archives curio collection shadowbox piece! I imagine this as a piece Jonah Magnus or Smirke would have made when they were studying or classifying the Entities, or something Gertrude might have hung in her office. I've been collecting and making these items for a while waiting to get them just right.

Contents:

Top row left to right:

The Stranger: doll head with clown makeup, vial of human skin (real, and ethically sourced--it's my own, a callus that came off on its own. Yes gross, but it fits).

The Hunt: various carnivore teeth

The Eye: prosthetic eye, and representations of eyes from various cultures

The Web: A spider, and silk web extending over the others, I wanted to use red threads as a reference to the red string on a classic "conspiracy wall"

The Spiral: a door charm, an ammonite fossil with fibonacci spiral, and a clock spring arrayed overtop.

The Corruption: wasp nest piece and "worms" handmade from pieces of cicada shells and painted.

The Vast: fulgurite (stone made when lightning strikes sand), and bottle containing a small meteorite, plus some obsidian stars

Bottom Row:

The Slaughter: shell casings from types of bullets used in war and by police

The Dark: tiny dive helmet, the inside of the section is painted with the "blackest black"paint, hand sculpted polymer clay tentacles (also painted with the blackest black) emerge from the darkness to threaten the helmet.

The Desolation: spent matches burned to the base, when you let it go too long and burn your fingers trying to hold them. Dripped into the back is red sealing wax which caught fire instead of melting properly and smoked up my workspace (I probably should have done that part outside...I did not)

The Buried: doll hand emerging from soil that I collected from the woods near an old cemetery

The Flesh: Vial of meat (it's biltong, so it's dried but looks more meat-like than jerky does), several pathologic snake rib bones where the snake was injured but healed with the bones in a strange position-- one looks twisted.

The Lonely: old photo of a group all facing the viewer with their faces carefully scratched away

The End: clock faces, gaming die, bone chess piece, and a carved skull.

The Magnus Archives is licensed under a creative commons attribution non-commercial sharalike 4.0 international license

[dysphoriaposting]

Let's be real here; fossil Pokemon (besides the Galar Oddities) are likely part Rock type because some of their DNA was replaced with minerals while being revived from their fossil. Because of that, there's a certain limit among the extinct Pokemon to only represent animals (and plantlife, who knows about the future) that existed long enough ago that their bones and exoskeletons have mineralized from millennia underground. Unfortunately, this leaves a whole group of creatures that lived after the time of the cavemen -- as well as creatures that died in scenarios any more interesting than existing, dying on land or in the ocean, and then letting the earth cover their remains -- in the dust.

This is the springboard for me to vault into what the meat of this post is: varied Pokemon fossils.

The idea of just a rock (or amber) with some stuff in it that turns into a Rock Pokemon with rocky bits on it is so boring that I would rather melt into the ground and become another damn rock with some stuff in it that turns into a Rock Pokemon with rocky bits on it. The Galar Oddities were a step in the right direction with fun stuff like smashed together creatures, the interesting detail of them NOT being Rock type, them having appropriate but not overbearing details that AREN'T rocky, and haha stupid animal look dumb not cool, but it wasn't enough.

We're starting with what the fossils are made of, my first complaint about current fossils. Fossils and other very old bits of creatures can be more than dull old sedimentary rocks: gemstones, tar remains, frozen pieces of animal, and even just honest to god bones can all have the DNA required to revive fossil Pokemon. (I know, I know, they're technically not fossils, but I think "fossil" could just be the PG way to describe the remains of an animal.)

Onto the next point: I hate that most fossil Pokemon are Rock type (besides Galar Oddities, ofc) with rock or stone bits on it. Anyways, let's consider other types they could be and details they could have instead.

> Tar Remains: Tar is hard to translate into a Pokemon type, but you could totally say Ground or Poison type. Details from a "Tar Remain" Pokemon would probably have sticky "tar" on them, or maybe that their proportions seem somewhat bendy and gooey compared to most other Pokemon or what animal they're based on. An example could be a La Brea Tar Pit dire wolf except it can stretch and rebound like a Gumby doll or a Smilodon with a pelt covered in nasty black gunk. I hope this idea sticks!

> Frozen Pieces: Ice type for sure. As well as that, it's likely that the Pokemon that came from the fossils will have icy bits sprouting off of them or have bits of them hard as ice. Examples could be a short-faced bear with a belly that looks like a snow globe or a ground sloth with freezing cold clawsicles (icicles that formed on its fingers, like how frost crystals can sometimes grow on something's extremities.) Very cool.

> Bones: Ghost type could work, as you could say the spirit of the animal that once surrounded the bones now inhabits it as leftover "DNA". For these Bone Pokemon, maybe the details would either be a slightly ethereal form or bones that jut from their body? For example, a passenger pigeon but its wings taper off into ectoplasmic trails that flow off of it independently of what it's doing, or a thylacine except it has bones inlaid on it's back instead of stripes. No bones about it, I like this idea a lot.

> Gemstones: This typing was the hardest to figure out, but I think Fairy would be delightful, as gemstone fossils of animals look cool as all get out. Gemstone Pokemon would likely be very sparkly (excellent, I know) or would have bits of gems growing from their body. Fun examples could be Ammolite ammonites (Ammolite being an opal-ish gemstone made from the fossilized shells of ammonites -- do I hear a regional form of Omanyte/Omastar?), their swirly shells made of a beautiful, swirly gem and Kuber Stone Orthoceras (Kuber Stones are remains of ancient mollusks called Orthoceras, the crystals often delightful shades of black and grey) with these black, pointy shards poking from its head. Looking sharp!

I personally believe that these ideas are quite brilliant, though maybe I just have a massive ego.

Input? Ideas? I would love to hear!

[doorbloggr]

Wednesday 28/7/21 - Real Fossil Pokémon

I watched the Pokémon anime a lot when I was younger and religiously played the games later on. Each new generation of Pokémon have recurring archetypes; regional small bird, humanoid fighting guy, metamorphosing bug etc. One of those are the Fossil Pokemon. As a wannabe Palaeontologist, these extinct Pokémon brought back to life always excited me.

Today I wanna talk about each Fossil Pokémon and what their real life Palaeontological inspirations are. Gonna be a bit of a longer post, so I'm gonna have to post this piece as a thread, make sure you're reading the longest version of this thread for the entire thing.

• Generation 1 (and 2)

Kanto's main pair of Fossil Pokémon are based on Mid-Late Paleozoic sea creatures. Johto did not introduce any new Fossil Pokémon.

Kabuto/Kabutops

Kabuto/Kabutops are based on ancient oceanic arthropods. Specifically, Kabuto seems to be a Horseshoe Crab. They have a circular, domed shell, small eyespots on the top and long spindly legs on the bottom. Although horseshoe crabs are still alive today, they first appeared way before the dinosaurs.

Kabuto; Trilobite, Heinrich Harder

Kabutops seems to be more based on a Trilobite. It has an angular head, and a body split into a head segment, bend mid section, and thick tail piece.

Kabutops; Trilobite, Mark Witton

A lot of Pokémon based on extinct marine organisms do this weird thing where they give them a transitional form into a land creature. And yeah many animal lineages did eventually transition into terrestrial forms, but not everything went that way.

Omanyte/Omastar

Omanyte and Omastar are based on ancient shelled cephalopods. The names seem to imply they specifically reference Ammonites, related to octopus and squid, with large spiral shells.

Omanyte/Omastar; Ammonites, Masato Hattori

Most Pokémon generations only introduce two evolutionary lines of Fossil Pokémon, but Gen 1 introduced a third, Aerodactyl.

Aerodactyl

Aerodactyl is clearly supposed to be a pterosaur of sorts, but it does not reference any specific species. The name calls reference to Pterodactylus and it does have a small head crest too, but it also has a long tail with a diamond shaped rudder like species such as Rhamphorhyncus.

Pterodactylus; Rhamphorhyncus, Gabriel Ugueto

Although likely not the primary inspiration, there was also a smaller, less known Pterosaur named Aerodactylus.

Aerodactylus, Matthew Martynuik

Part 2 in next post.

[peregrination-studies]

So, what're some of your favorite prehistoric sea creatures? I've always loved trilobites, but the dunkleostus has recently founds it's way into me heart

First off, AMAZING ask. 13/10. Second, it’s SO HARD TO CHOOSE, but after much deliberation:

(Pic source left showing trilobite diversity and right of trilobite reconstruction art)

I’m with you on trilobites. I honestly think trilobites are my favorite. They were so RESILIENT and diverse. I wrote an essay on trilobites and their (lovable trait of) diversification and what that means for evolution as a whole, so I’m a little partial to them just bc I know more about them. (Of the entire group, I think Actinopeltis globosus/bubble nose trilobite is my all time fav.)

(Pic source right showing ammonite reconstruction and left showing aragonite vs high-Mg Calcite seas)

Ammonites always have a special place in my heart bc they were the first prehistoric sea creatures I ever learned about. Back when I was in elementary school, I knew fossils existed, but I never really processed that they were the remnants of REAL things that lived and had vibrant experiences in a world so different from ours now. I saw a picture of an ammonite for the first time when I was maybe nine? And my life was forever changed. Also the fact that their shells are made from aragonite is just really heckin cool and has inspired me to do more independent research on aragonite seas/the aragonite threshold.

(Pic source right of a conodont swimming and left of up close look at conodont teeth. The expression in this conodont’s eyes is the definition of “no thoughts head empty”)

I’m a big fan of conodonts mostly bc of the conodont alteration index. Every time I think of someone heating up a conodont as a temperature gauge, I think of that post “who was the man who first salted the slug, what was he thinking to try?” sung to Billy Joel’s Piano Man. Bc it’s wild. Like. Baking conodonts. It’s just hilarious to me for some reason. They’re also great simply because they are very easy to draw. Just make a squiggly line on the page and bam, that’s a conodont. Also they’re very related to hagfish, and who doesn’t love hagfish?

(Honorable mention to pregnant ichthyosaurs. Source x.)

These are pretty basic answers, whoops. 😂 DUNKLEOSTUS MY BELOVED. Also, I have no recollection of requesting paleo asks but THANK YOU for this ask!! (I also run @intersection-of-art-and-science where I post more science-y stuff btw. This account def has the occasional paleoblr content, but my science account’s got a lot more.)