Taking advantage of the last days of vacation allows me to post again!
I am selling part of my Colombian fossil collection to help support the project.
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| The large ammonite weighs over 13 pounds (6 kilos)! |
Ichthyosaur Jaw & Vertebrae, Ammonites, from Villa de Leyva, Colombia
I bought these about 9 years ago, from local fossil hunters at the El Fosil attraction slightly outside of town. All of these creatures lived with each other in a time period spanning 200 - 300 million years ago. At this time the area of Villa de Leyva was a shallow marine sea. Since that time geologic forces and changing climate have made the region into a mountainous desert, located about 2,000 meters (7,000 feet) above sea level.
The first piece is an ichthyosaur fossil jaw with teeth.
The second and third pieces are fossil vertebrae (each about 6 centimeters or 2 1/2 inches) also from an ichthyosaur.
The fourth piece is a large ammonite measuring 30 centimeters (12 inches) at its widest point and weighing about 6 kilograms (13 pounds).
The fifth piece is a small ammonite measuring 8 centimeters (3 1/2 inches).
The sixth and seventh pieces are rare heteromorph ammonites measuring 14 centimeters and 15 centimeters, respectively.
About 6 years ago Colombia passed a law making it illegal to sell or buy fossils. It is especially illegal to take them out of the country. While I believe that some people are probably smuggling them out, I did not, nor will I in the future!
Here are some picture from National Geographic that illustrate what they may have looked like when alive.
If you are interested in the auction you may visit it on EBay:
I leave for Colombia on February 24, so (just like voting) bid early and bid often!
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