|
Date: |
|
Description: | Specimen of a fossil cephalopod, Nautilus sp., collected from unspecified rocks of Tertiary (?) age from Morroco (?), Africa.
The spirally coiled shell of this fossil Nautilus has been dissolved away to show the inside structure made of septa (walls) and chambers. The animal lived in the outermost chamber of the shell and the smaller chambers were filled with gas. This made Nautilus buoyant and allowed it to adjust its position in the water by varying the amount of gas in its shell. Nautilus swam using jet propulsion, forcing water out of its body. They were carnivores and fed mainly on shrimps, crabs and fish caught in their tentacles.
The specimen was found in Morroco.
It is from the Tertiary period (65 - 1.8 million years ago) | Publisher: | Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums | Subjects: | Cephalopoda Classification: Animalia Invertebrata Mollusca | Temporal: | Tertiary period (65 - 1.8 million years ago) | Source: | Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums | Identifier: | http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/geofinder/se... | Go to resource |
|
More Like this...
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Nautiloid
Orthocones were animals that looked…
-
Goniatite
GlyphiocerasGonatites were similar to the…
-
|