Fossil specimen. Polished section. Name: A. Birchii. Dark brown with grey slate. Group: Mollusca, Amonoidea. Crystal infill in outer cavities, inner cavities are filled with sediment.
Ammonites became extinct about 65 million years ago and, therefore, had no contact with humans who have only been in existence for about 2 million years. They were preyed upon by marine reptiles. Very few Ammonite fossils have been found with remains of food inside them but from the evidence available it seemed they were carnivores (meat eaters), eating fish and other molloscs. It caught its food with its tentacles and it had a strong mouth capable of crushing shell. It propelled itself backwards through the water with squid like tentacles that came out of its shell. The spiral shell was divided into chambers and the creature lived only in the outermost chamber. The other chambers were filled with gas or water to control buoyancy.
