"Tractor" Ammonite - Douvilleiceras mammilatum
Upper Early Cretaceous, Albian Stage
Mahajanga Province, Madagascar
We refer to these Ammonites as "Tractors" because they sort of resemble tractor tires!
This cool Tractor Ammonite has had it's end chamber hollowed out so you can see partially inside the fossil! Normally septa (sqiggly lines) are seen when an ammonite is cut open, in half. When it is cut like this, you see the septa that appear like squiggly lines. How this Ammonite has been worked, you can see the sutures from a different point of view, which is pretty rare. Normally this end chamber gets filled with debris over time, eventually turning to stone. It takes quite a bit of time and effort to work an ammonite like this, as it is very labor intensive. This one stands on it's own.
Better in person! SO COOL!
Approx. 9" x 7.425" x 4.75" thick; weighs 10 lb. 5 oz.