What is dactylioceras ammonite?

Dactylioceras is a genus of extinct ammonite that lived during the Jurassic period, approximately 195 to 176 million years ago. These marine creatures were characterized by their coiled shells with intricate ribbing and smooth, rounded whorls.

Dactylioceras ammonites were typically small to medium-sized, with shell diameters ranging from a few centimeters to around 30 centimeters. They had a distinctive dactylioceratid suture pattern, which is a series of intricate lobes and saddles on the inner surface of the shell where the chambers meet the outer wall.

These cephalopods were carnivorous predators that likely fed on small marine animals such as fish and crustaceans. They inhabited shallow seas and are commonly found in sedimentary rocks in regions that were once submerged under ancient oceans.

Dactylioceras is a well-known and widely studied genus of ammonite, with many fossil specimens preserved in museum collections around the world. Their unique shell morphology and intricate suture patterns make them popular among collectors and paleontologists alike.