A LARGE GROUP OF AMMONITES

BELMONT, RHÔNE, FRANCE

A mass mortality of Hammatoceras insigne, and Grammoceras penestriatulatum (80 x 76 cm, 94 cm tall on stand), Toarcien, Jurassic (18꧟3-174 million years ago). Subtle restoration to plaque, otherwise in very fine condition. 

In the broad sense, Ammonites, or Ammonoidea are an extinct sub-class of cephalopod molluscs. They appear in the fossil register during the Devonien and disappear just after the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, a sudden mass-extinction over 66 million years ago of soꦡme 75% of Earth's plant anꦰd animal species. 

The mine that this specimen originated from, located in Belmont-d'Azergues in the Rhône valley of France, is one of the most beautiful deposits of ammonites from the lower Jurassic. The Toarcien stage is widely represented with a particular abundance of Hildoceras bifrons.