Ammonite inside a clam

Several weekends ago I was collecting on formations known as Tepee Buttes
east of Pueblo, Colorado. These cone-shaped features are found from Colorado
into South Dakota in the late Cretaceous Pierre Shale and are remnants of
methane vents on the floor of the Western Interior Seaway. Unique ecosystems
developed around these vents, making them great places to collect fossils.

Click on pictures to Magnify

1

I collected this clam, Nymphalucina occidentalis, on one of
the buttes. This species is found in abundance on all of the
Tepee Buttes, but no where else.

2

Turning over this specimen, revealed quite a surprise. Most
of the shell on this side had broken away revealing a small
ammonite inside the clam.

3

This ammonite inside the clam is the same species as the
one in this photo that I found at the same location a couple
of years ago.

My question to the group: How did this ammonite get inside this clam?

"The odds of finding a clam with an ammonite inside is a one-in-a-million!
A great fossil and would be ideal for a museum exhibit on fossil preservation."

  Click Here to review the Discussion
Dennis Gertenbach


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