Pyrite Ammonite – Pyritized Ammonite

About Pyritized Ammonite

This beautiful ammonite specimen was coated with pyrite crystals over time. It was found by the Volga river in the Ulianovsk region of Russia and dates back to the Jurassic period.

Ammonites are an extinct group of marine animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca, shelled cephalopods similar to the nautilus.

The name ammonite is derived from the Egyptian god Ammon, due to the resemblance of the shell to ram horns, which were associated to this divinity.

Ammonites have been collected since prehistoric times. They became extinct at the end of the cretaceous period. The main hypothesis regarding the global mass extinction that happened at that time involves an asteroid collision, which would have halted photosynthesis and had a major impact on food availability for ammonites and dinosaurs alike.