Orthoceras plate statement fossil specimen, polished straight nautiloid shells in dark limestone, on a white background, view 1 of 10
Orthoceras plate fossil specimen, front view on a white background, view 2 of 10
Orthoceras plate fossil specimen displayed upright, angled view, view 3 of 10
Orthoceras plate fossil specimen, side view showing the rough edge, view 4 of 10
Orthoceras fossil, close view of the polished shells and chambers, view 5 of 10
Orthoceras fossil, close view of a polished cone-shaped shell, view 6 of 10
Orthoceras plate fossil specimen on display in the store, view 7 of 10
Orthoceras plate fossil specimen on a store shelf, view 8 of 10
Orthoceras plate fossil specimen with a playing card, reference photo for scale on a white background, view 9 of 10
Orthoceras plate fossil specimen with a playing card, reference photo for scale, view 10 of 10
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Orthoceras plate statement fossil specimen, polished straight nautiloid shells in dark limestone, on a white background, view 1 of 10Orthoceras plate fossil specimen, front view on a white background, view 2 of 10Orthoceras plate fossil specimen displayed upright, angled view, view 3 of 10Orthoceras plate fossil specimen, side view showing the rough edge, view 4 of 10Orthoceras fossil, close view of the polished shells and chambers, view 5 of 10Orthoceras fossil, close view of a polished cone-shaped shell, view 6 of 10Orthoceras plate fossil specimen on display in the store, view 7 of 10Orthoceras plate fossil specimen on a store shelf, view 8 of 10Orthoceras plate fossil specimen with a playing card, reference photo for scale on a white background, view 9 of 10Orthoceras plate fossil specimen with a playing card, reference photo for scale, view 10 of 10

Orthoceras - Plate - Fossil Statement Specimen

Morocco
Prix:
$100.00 CAD
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Specifications

  • Animal Kingdoms Mollusk
  • Fossil Era Paleozoic (252 - 541 million years ago)
  • UV Reactive Non Reactive
  • Mineral Families Carbonates
  • Treatments Natural/None

Description

Locality: Morocco

Era: Paleozoic

This one-of-a-kind orthoceras plate is a tall section of dark fossil limestone with long, straight cone-shaped shells exposed in relief across its face. The shells run up the plate in overlapping spears, polished to a glossy black, and several have been opened along their length so you can see the pale, ladder-like rows of chambers inside. Between the fossils, the matrix has been worked back with a chisel, leaving a rough, stippled grey and white surface that sets off the polished shells, so the piece reads as both a raw rock and a finished display.

Orthoceras is the trade name for the straight-shelled nautiloid cephalopods, distant relatives of today's nautilus and squid, that swam in Paleozoic seas several hundred million years ago. Each animal lived in the last, largest chamber of its tapering shell and used the empty chambers behind it, linked by a thin tube called the siphuncle, to control its buoyancy. When the animals died, their shells settled into lime mud on the sea floor, which hardened into the dark limestone you see here, and the shells themselves were replaced by calcite over time.

Calcite is fairly soft, so keep the polished face away from grit and harsh cleaners, and dust it with a soft dry cloth. Many straight-shelled fossils sold as orthoceras belong to related orthocone nautiloid genera rather than the strict genus Orthoceras, which is why the name is used here as a trade name.

Chemical Composition: Fossil nautiloid shells replaced by calcite (CaCO₃) in limestone

Mohs Hardness: 3

Treatment: Natural/None (cut and polished)

Metric: Height 30.5 cm · Width 12.25 cm · Depth ?

Imperial: Height 12.0 in · Width 4.8 in · Depth ?

Quantity: 1pc

With this product, you will receive the actual piece shown in the photographs. We do our best to offer quality products and price them honestly. Please keep in mind that colours and details may appear slightly different in person due to lighting, photography, and screen settings, but we do our best to represent each piece accurately.

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