Ammonite

 This early direct relative of the modern nautilus grew up to six feet long and was a terror of the Ordovician through Cretaceous seas!  Ammon and his relative the orthoceras were the originators of jet propulsion- he squirted water to propel himself through the water to escape enemies or catch up to prey.  Ammon’s prey was anybody he came across!

Ammon’s shell was made up of chambers which held air for balance and buoyancy, like a submarine.  Ammon pumped air in and out for propulsion and to maintain his up or down location in the water.  Ammon himself lived in the last, biggest chamber, just like modern nautilus.

Ammon was a mollusk, a snail.  He was a very smart, very mobile snail, though.  He and his kin ruled the oceans for about 450 million years before becoming extinct at the end of the Cretaceous Period, along with the dinosaurs.  Be sure to check our other fossil whitepapers at www.moleenaturestore.info.