Iridescent Placenticeras meeki Ammonite Fossils

Here are two pictures of a Placenticeras meeki (Böhm, 1898) ammonite fossils found in the Bearpaw Shale Formation of the Lethbridge District, Alberta, Canada. The fossil dates to the Cretaceous Period. Fossils were on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.

 

Iridescent Placenticeras meeki Ammonite Fossil

Iridescent Placenticeras meeki ammonite fossil on display at The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Natural History Museum), Italy as of August 2019. It is quite a beautiful fossil and probably one of the most valuable (price-wise) with exception to the dinosaurs on display there.
It dates to the upper Cretaceous Period and was found in Canada. I would estimate the fossil was at least 30 cm in diameter.

What makes the fossil so valuable is that it is composed of a organic gem-like material ammolite. Ammolite is a biogenic gemstone like pearl and amber. The material comes from the ancient shells of cephalopods. The creatures swam in what was known as the Western Interior Seaway which stretched from today's Arctic Ocean, through western Canada and United States and down to the Gulf of Mexico.

Placenticeras intercalare Ammonite Fossil

This ammonite fossil was on display at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York city in July 2018. The ammonite fossil is named Placenticeras intercalare. It was found in the Bearpaw Formation, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada and dates to the Cretaceous Period (75 million years ago). Accession number is Fl-56701. Donated by Korite International and Canada Fossils Ltd.

The ammonite fossil shell is now iridescent caused by being exposed to high pressures and temperatures. The marine creature existed in the Western Interior Seaway that covered the middle of what is now the North American continent. The seaway existed from about 75-65 million years ago.

What makes the fossil so valuable is that it is composed of a organic gem-like material ammolite. Ammolite is a biogenic gemstone like pearl and amber. The material comes from the ancient shells of cephalopods.

Learn more about the museum at https://www.amnh.org/

An Iridescent Looking Limnoscelis

I have mentioned this animal before in a previous posting and about the computer game it is featured in. It is now at its maximum level and appears quite iridescent. It is from the mobile phone game Jurassic World.

This Permian Period reptile like amphibian is a Limnoscelis. It is thought to be a carnivore and grew to a length of about 1.5 meters.

The game is available for free for the Android phone in the Play Store.

Sources:

http://www.ludia.com/en/games/jurassic-worldtm-the-game

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limnoscelis