This ammonite’s shell has been bitten by a fish or a small shark. Can you spot the teeth marks?
This close-up photo shows an arrow pointing to three tooth-shaped holes in a straight line.
Ammonites were shellfish that fed on plankton. They floated up and down in the warm sea that covered this area in prehistoric times.
They became extinct 65 million years ago at the same time as the dinosaurs.
Their closest modern relatives are octopus and squid.
Did you know?
The Roman writer Pliny the Elder gave ammonites their name because their shape reminded him of the Ancient Egyptian god Ammon’s coiled rams horns.
In medieval times powdered ammonite was believed to have healing powers.
They were sometimes known as snakestones, because they resembled coiled snakes.
Accession number F2017.8.5
