More from France

[spartacus]

hi all, here's another couple of the same species from down my way of the west coast of France. From the same site as my previous Oxycerites orbis & Oppelia aspidoides , therefore Bathonien unless you use Phil's timeline where they'd be from last weekend !

The good one is 100mm, 10cm, 0.1m or 4" in dia & exactly how it popped from a big rock. The other with the centre whorls missing has been hacked to free the calcite middle, as the rest were mashed, but it turned out that the centre had already gone . The backside was eroded out & home to a rather large hidden ragworm

Now it's your go Phil to tell me what it is as it ain't in me book !

Keef

[neuropteris]

Great finds! Makes me want to pick up the hammer and get out there again - I've not been out looking for ammonites for ages. Haven't a clue on Bathonian ammonites myself so have you any ideas on species yet?

Andy

[spartacus]

hi Andy, as Kevin & Phil gargle omega 3, I'd thought I'd leave it to them, test their powers of deduction & earn their considerable Tonmo salaries !

Keef

[AndyS]

Spartacus,

Oppelia aspidoides is from the upper Bajocian, if your other ammonites are from the same layer they could be Bigotites sp.

AndyS

[spartacus]

hi Andy (S), confusion reigns ! I'm gonna bin my Vendée geo guide as I see where you're coming from, in it Oppelia is dated Bathonien !
Herve Chatelier also throws up Bajocisphinctes as another deadringer that would fit possibly ?
I may have to switch to stamp collecting as my head hurts.

Keef

[Phil]

...earn their considerable Tonmo salaries !

Er....as in $0?

Great finds as ever, Lord Spart.

Well having learnt a lesson or two in the past couple of years, I'm not going to spend two hours trying to work out what it could be and then get it completely wrong. To be honest, I have not got a clue what is!

According to my copy of Paleobase, Oppelia was confined to the Bajocian, i.e 176.5-169.2 mya. Not that's much help to you, mind.

As an Oppelia fact-o-bite, Hewitt in 1993 studied growth rates in Oppelia, and using growth increments in the jaws determined that they probably reached maturity in a year. This is the same as most living cephalopods which reach sexual maturity in a year or two, spawn, and abruptly die.

P.S. Don't knock gargling Omega 3. It's more fun than googling it.

[Architeuthoceras]

Something from the Family Stephanoceratidae for sure

[spartacus]

hi guys ! you still not being paid then ?
Checked out Bigotites & it seems well to porky in the thickness dept. Bajocisphinctes is spot on proportionally but what do I know in comparison with Tonmo's three Magi ?
There again Prorsisphinctes does the job too, not forgetting Leptosphinctes & a host of others
I'll just catalogue it as an ammonite methinks

[Architeuthoceras]

It looked to me like Stemmatoceras of the family Stephanoceratidae but with a closer look I saw the constrictions so placing it in the family Perisphinctidae is best. Still dont know what genus.

What is Omega 3 ?

[WhiteKiboko]

What is Omega 3 ?

an essential fatty acid commonly found in fish and certain plants.....

[spartacus]

........ one spoonful & instead of hanging about round bus stops & shopping malls, errant kids spontaneously start queuing up outside libraries to do some swatting !

Kevin, I did wonder about your initial ID but didn't want to undermine your self-confidence !

Keef

[Architeuthoceras]

You can tell I havnt had any recently... will have to change my diet from steak and spuds to fish and chips

[spartacus]

get them sardines down your neck Kevin !
Apparently, Phil swears by them & uses an "oily fish" based body rub. This may also explain why he does the majority of his socializing online !

Keef

[cuttlegirl]

Originally posted by Spartacus
Phil swears by them & uses an "oily fish" based body rub.

Now there's an interesting image "Dear, could you rub smashed up fish on my back for me???"

[sorseress]

Phil's girl must be very tolerant.....

[spartacus]

, sorry Phil

Keef

[cuttlegirl]

Originally posted by Sorceress
Phil's girl must be very tolerant....

I was thinking the same thing, but I was trying to be polite...

[sorseress]

Why bother??? (the devil made me do it!)

[cuttlegirl]

I try to be a good girl...

[sorseress]

I'm too old to try to kid anybody. An old, evil, crone, that's me!