Posts Tagged ‘giant’
The .Gif Post No. 563 – Merry Leaping Piglets, Santa Claus Wearing A Pigeon Mask While Sitting On An Ostrich Christmas Tree Decoration & Michael Jordan As Compared To A Giant Cow
Friday, 14 December 2018Bigass Ammonite Fossil is not a Bigass Ammonite Fossil
Monday, 18 July 2016
Yep, that looks like a bigass prehistoric ammonite fossil, and it’s not a snail fossil as the caption states.
Ammonites are perhaps the most widely known fossil, possessing the typically ribbed spiral-form shell as pictured above. These creatures lived in the seas between 240 – 65 million years ago, when they became extinct along with the dinosaurs. The name ‘ammonite’ (usually lower-case) originates from the Greek Ram-horned god called Ammon. Ammonites belong to a group of predators known as cephalopods, which includes their living relatives the octopus, squid, cuttlefish and nautilus [via].
I found the top image (with the erroneous caption) in here, and wondered about the story behind it. Since fossils are typically embedded in rock and I didn’t see any hole or excavation, something seemed off.
Ammonite fossils are common, but are rarely larger than about 9 inches in diameter. Sure, some larger species have been found, but why wasn’t this one encased in plaster, crated up and shipped to an archeological museum? How could something so heavy and brittle stay in one piece while being tilted up? How could four guys lift it, let alone one?
A Tineye search brought me to the source – a 2005 documentary filmed in Lyme Regis, England for the BBC series “Journey of Life.”
“This giant ammonite was actually a replica that we used to show how big ammonites could grow. Made of polystyrene it squeaked as we rolled it down the beach. The look of gob-smack on the faces of Jurassic Coast fossil collectors was priceless!”
Paul Williams, 3 September 2013.
This “fossil” was a prop, and it had a cameo role in Episode 1: Seas of Life.
[Full story with photos here.]
Perhaps you’re wondering why I suddenly found an interest in large fabricated ammonite fossils. It’s because I saw that top picture and wanted to do this with it:
The .Gif Friday Post No. 387 – Foldytown, Catwalk & Silo Man
Friday, 24 April 2015
Paul Bunyan – Retired
Monday, 11 August 2014
The real Paul Bunyan [found here].
CapyBathy
Monday, 31 March 2014
Leapin’ Lizards!
Sunday, 4 August 2013
THAT’S NOT A PHOTOSHOP. The lizard’s big as a Buick, and it’s going after a transformer.
[Found in here. Word of caution – It’s a Russian website, and they don’t police their internet for viruses very well. I think it’s clean, but you can acquire some nasties if you’re not careful.]
Waiting For Sundown…
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
It’s just biding its time. Happy Halloween.
Carp Happens.
Monday, 8 August 2011
[Found here.]
Giant Woolly Llammoth
Monday, 22 November 2010
Giant Isopod! Yay!
Monday, 19 April 2010
These pups live in the deep, scrounging around in the darkness for rotted detritus, and occasionally they are captured on trawling lines. The one in the picture is about 2-1/2 feet long and was found clinging to a submarine returning from an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. They’re related to common pillbugs, wood lice and lawn shrimp. Wikipiddlia has this:
“In northern Taiwan and other areas, they are common at seaside restaurants, served boiled and bisected with a clean lateral slice. The white meat, similar to crab or lobster in texture, is then easily removed.”
I’d eat it.
