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WHAT ARE AMMONITES?

Ammonites are perhaps the most widely known fossil, particularly in the UK where hundreds are dug up along the Jurassic Coast every year.

The ancient sea creatures sported a ribbed spiral-form shell, and lived between 240-65 million years ago, when they were wiped out along with the dinosaurs.

Ammonites were cephalopods; their nearest living relatives are animals like squid, octopus and cuttlefish.

They ate starfish, small crustaceans such as shrimp and other small marine creatures, using their tentacles to probe the seafloor before snapping up prey.

The creatures moved using jet propulsion via a tube near their mouth that squirted water, much like some species of modern squid.

The ammonite's shell was divided into chambers and strengthened by walls that stopped it from being crushed by water pressure. 

Experts believe they could probably not withstand depths of more than 100 metres. 

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