The image shown is a
Harpoceras serpentinum (Schlotheim , 1820)
ammonite fossil. It dates to the Jurassic Period (Toarcien) and was
found at Cheville (Sarthe) France. It was displayed at Muséum National D'Historie
Naturelle Jardin Des Plantes Paléontologie et Anatomie Comparée, Paris,
France. Image taken August 2009.
The species was named by German palaeontologist
Ernst Friedrich, Baron von Schlotheim (1764-1832). He originally called it
Ammonites serpentinus (Schlotheim , 1820). The name
ammonite was derived from Egyptian deity
Ammon who was represented by a symbol looking like a coiled ram horn.
