Ammonites

Ammonites

Ammonites were extinct marine cephalopods related to modern squid, octopuses and nautiluses. The broader ammonoid group first appeared approximately 400 million years ago and survived until the end of the Cretaceous Period, around 66 million years ago. These remarkable animals inhabited environments ranging from shallow tropical seas to deeper open oceans, feeding on plankton, crustaceans and other small marine organisms. Their distinctive coiled shells contained internal chambers that helped regulate buoyancy, allowing them to move through the water. Ammonites varied greatly in size and are among the most recognisable fossils in the world.