Belemnite

Belemnite (“Dart or Javelin”)

Timeline: Jurassic - Cretaceous (201 - 66 million years ago)
Size: 4 - 5 metres in length
Range: Found Worldwide
Habitat: littoral (nearshore) and mid-shelf zones
Diet: Carnivore

Belemnites were marine cephalopods, related to modern day squids & cuttlefish. They had a squid-like body but, unlike modern squid, they had a hard bullet-shaped internal skeleton made of calcite. This skeleton, or guard, is what is mostly commonly found as fossils. 

The largest belemnite fossil known comes from Indonesia. It is about 46 cm long; the animal itself must have been 4-5 m long. In contrast, one of the smallest belemnites, Neohibolites minimus, has a rostrum only about three centimetres long. 

Belemnites most likely had a diet like modern squids and cuttlefish, e.g. of fishes, crustaceans, and other cephalopods. Belemnites became extinct during the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous 65 million years ago.

During the mediaeval period, when people were first discovering the strange bullet shaped fossils of belemnites, it was believed that belemnites were thunderbolts which had been turned into stone after crashing to earth.

This Belemnite (200 Million Years Old) has been displayed and elegantly mounted in a museum quality deep box frame, by our expert in house team.

Frame: Satin finished acrylic

Mount: 300 GSM acid free card stock with a 2 mm bevelled edge matboard border

Display: Self standing frame or wall hanging bracket

Dimensions: 16 x 16 x 6 cm

The picture shown is an example of the quality that you can expect to receive. Please be aware that, as these are natural products, they are subject to some variation.

We work closely with reputable suppliers all over the world to source high quality, genuine specimens. Each fossil comes with a certificate of authenticity documenting the provenance of each specimen, including the age and location where it was discovered.