![]() ![]() Ammonites appeared in the Early Jurassic Period. When Did Ammonites Live?Īmmonoids (the group of animals that includes ammonites and other, related animals) first appeared around 409 mya (million years ago), during the Devonian Period of the Paleozoic Era.Īmmonites appeared in the Jurassic Period, which began around 201.3 mya. This means of jet propulsion is still used by modern cephalopods such as octopuses and nautiluses. ![]() They swam by forcibly expelling water from their bodies – pushing themselves through the water. Ammonites are among the most common types of fossil.Īmmonites were free-swimming animals that probably fed on plankton, marine vegetation and slow-moving marine animals. Ammonites were abundant in many parts of the world. Some ammonite shells had bumps and spines.Īmmonites were named after the Greek god Ammon, because their shells resemble the ram’s horns with which the god is often depicted.Īmmonites were abundant in Earth’s prehistoric oceans from the early Jurassic Period up to the latter half of the Cretaceous Period. The shells of some ammonite species were heavily ridged, while others were smooth. When living, however, the ammonite’s head and tentacles would have projected from the end of the curled shell. When we think of ammonites, we usually picture just those tightly-coiled shells, because in most cases these are the only body parts to have become fossilized. ![]() (On this page we’ll use the more specific definition unless specified.) A typical ammonite fossil.Īmmonites belonged to the mollusk group Cephalopoda, and are related to living cephalopods such as octopuses, squid and nautiluses.Īmmonites had flat, coiled external shells. Specifically, ammonites are ammonoids of order Ammonitida, but the term ammonite is also used to refer to all ammonoids. The answers to all of the questions can be found on this page.Īn ammonite is a prehistoric marine animal belonging a now-extinct group of mollusks known as Ammonoidea. Click here or on the image above to view / download – no sign-up required. Test your knowledge of ammonites with this free worksheet.
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