Ammonites as big as humans lived 80 million years ago
Recommended for Middle Grades
A new study says that ancient ammonites as big as humans lived in the Atlantic Ocean 80 million years ago. Ammonites were a group of cephalopods with shells that went extinct roughly 66 million years ago.
What are cephalopods?
Cephalopods are sea animals that have a large soft head, large eyes and eight or ten long thin legs (tentacles). Cephalopods are divided into three subgroups: coleoids (including squids, octopuses and cuttlefishes), nautiloids (the nautiluses) and ammonites.
These particular ammonites were the largest ever and could grow up to 6 feet (1.8 metres). The species is called Parapuzosia seppenradensis. Scientists have found huge fossils of them in Germany and you can see them at the Museum of Natural History in Münster. Ammonite fossils can also be found in Mexico.
So, how did these ammonites grow so big?
Scientists think that they had to grow very big because, at this time, there were huge creatures (like mosasaurs) who hunted them. Mosasaurs were ancient sea reptiles, which were huge in size. They had flipper-like paddles for arms and legs and a tail fin.
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