Name:
Orthoceras sp. Age: Devonian Formation: Hunsruck Shale (Bundenbach) Location: Bundenbach, Germany Size: Nautiloid is 8.2 inches long This specimen is not for sale Click here for similar specimens that are for sale
Here is a very striking specimen of a primitive, straight-shelled cephalopod. This is Orthoceras sp. from the Devonian slate of Germany. The slate quarries in the Bundenbach area have now shut down. The only way to obtain fossils from this site is through the dispersal of old collections. This exquisite nautiloid was recently obtained from an old German collection. This long nautiloid has excellent form - the tapering shell is easily seen. The fossil is preserved by iron pyrite or "fool's gold". The golden color of the fossil contrasts beautifully with the dark slate. The fossil is wonderfully centered on the large, natural plate of matrix. This is a very displayable example of an unusual cephalopod from a site that is no longer producing specimens.