Geosciences Working Group

How does the ammonite get into the Nevada desert?
Lecturer: Eva Bischof

During the Middle Triassic period, the area of today's Nevada was located far away from the west coast of the Panthalassa Super Ocean. The variability of ammonoids was high in mid-deep areas of this ocean. At that time a huge "arms race" took place between hunters and hunted - between Ichthysoauriers and Ammonites. Every time the predators developed stronger teeth, the prey animals were forced to develop more stable shells. This intensified competition has made a decisive contribution to the diversity of forms in the sea. The excellent conditions of the outcrops in NW-Nevada, USA reveal wonderful insights into the open water faunas of this part of the world. The lecture reports on the progress of the research work of the Geosammlung Bremen, which investigates the diversity of ammonites from this period.

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