Vault Series #4 - Placenticeras Ammonite
Price on Request
Placenticeras Ammonite - A Rare and Captivating Fossil
This Placenticeras costatum ammonite from the Bearpaw Formation os a striking example of nature's ability to transform biological history into something undeniably artistic. Its deep, vivid blues - the rarest and most sought-after hues in iridescent ammonite - contrast with flashes of red, fold, and green, creating a surface that seems to shift and evolve under light. The preservation of this specimen is exceptional, with the shell's fine ribbing and structural details still evident after 71 million years of burial and mineralization.
Ammonite like Placenticeras were among the most successful marine animals of the Mesozoic, their coiled shells forming an elegant yet functional design that helped them navigate the ancient seas. Their lineage, stretching back nearly 400 million years, came to an end during the mass extinction at the close of the Cretaceous - leaving behind fossils that are now prized both for their scientific value and their natural beauty. The iridescence in this specimen is the result of complex mineral replacement processes, where layers of the nacre interact with the light much like the structure of a butterfly wing or the features of a hummingbird.
The ammonite's spiral form, a near-perfect expression of logarithmic growth, echoes patterns found throughout the natural world - from galaxies to hurricanes to the cochlea of the human ear. This specimen is a remnant of a vanished ocean, a piece of deep time preserved with an almost surreal vibrancy.
GEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
- Formation: Bearpaw Formation
- Location: Southern Alberta, Canada
- Age: Late Cretaceous (71 million years old)
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
- Species: Placenticeras costatum
- Size: 51 cm x 42 cm
- Weight: 21 lbs (9.5 kg)
This ammonite is a testament to both the forces of evolution and the geological transformations that have shaped our planet, an object of both historical depth and aesthetic refinement.
