amoniowas

Amoniowas are a genus of extinct marine reptiles belonging to the family Amonitidae, which are part of the larger group known as ammonoids. These ammonite-like creatures thrived during the Late Jurassic period, approximately 160 to 145 million years ago, and are primarily known from fossil records found in various marine deposits around Europe and North Africa.

Amoniowas are characterized by their coiled, planispiral shells, which are typically adorned with intricate ribbing and tubercles. Their shells exhibit a high degree of ornamentation, which is believed to have played a role in buoyancy control and protection from predators. The shell’s internal chambered structure is divided by septa, allowing the animal to regulate its buoyancy in the surrounding water column.

As marine organisms, amoniowas were likely predators, feeding on small marine invertebrates such as mollusks and filtration feeders. Their streamlined shape suggests they were capable of active movement within the ocean, and their widespread distribution indicates they were successful and ecologically significant during their time.

Amoniowas went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, along with many other marine and terrestrial species, in the mass extinction event that marked the end of the Mesozoic Era. Their fossilized shells provide valuable insights into the diversity and evolutionary history of cephalopods during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Today, amoniowas are of interest to paleontologists and fossil collectors, primarily for their morphological diversity and implications for understanding marine evolutionary processes.