Name:
Orthoceras sp. Age: Devonian Formation: Hunsruck Shale (Bundenbach) Location: Bundenbach, Germany Size: Cephalopod is 3.7 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 cephalopod and bryozoa. 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 cool nautiloid fossil was recently obtained from an old German collection. This long nautiloid has excellent form. The reticulated surface is a bryozoan that attached to the shell of the Orthoceras while it was still alive. The fossil is preserved by iron pyrite, or ''fool's gold''. The natural color of the fossil contrasts beautifully with the dark slate. The fossil is wonderfully showcased on the large plate of roofing slate. This is a very displayable example of an unusual cephalopod with bryozoan covering from a site that is no longer producing specimens.