The difference between a nautilus and an ammonite? Not much at first glance. And really, not much in the grand scheme of things. The biggest difference between a nautilus and an ammonite is that they say the ammonite went extinct around the time of the dinosaur’s extinction.
Hmm, I wonder if it was some type of aquatic dinosaur?
They are both squid-like creatures, but the nautilus still lives whereas the ammonite is extinct. Certain dinosaurs might have even used them as a tasty snack. Their defensive behaviors were also different, in that the ammonite was able to suck its body into its shell in order to defend itself. Ammonites would constantly build new shells but only live in the outer chamber. And some were able to grow near 3 feet! Can you imagine finding a 3-foot seashell?
Though I don’t live near a beach, I’ve always enjoyed walking the beach and looking for seashells. Finding and collecting certain rocks and arrowheads appeal to me. But to find an ammonite fossil along the shores of my next vacation spot? That ranks high along my list of things I’d like to do.
In Burn on the Western Slope, when Reagan first sees the fossilized seashell that the villain has stolen, she describes it as “peering into the soul of high-definition earth.” You know how HDTV is the big thing now, and there really is a difference between that and regular TV (especially if you grew up around the antenna-age!) But nothing on any HD can ever compare to the beauty of our earth.