Orthocone Fossil specimens from Morocco

Rough, unpolished Orthocone fossils from Morocco, relatively large specimens. These are normally sold polished and sold as Orthoceras - whether or not they actually belong to that genus!

These fossils are the remains of a type of sea creature known as an Orthocone. Orthocones, also known as "straight cephalopod", are an extinct group of marine animals that are closely related to modern-day squid and octopus. They had a long, straight, and cylindrical shape

Orthocone is a term that is used to describe a specific shape or type of cephalopod. Orthocones are characterized by their long, straight, and cylindrical shape, similar to Orthoceras. However, Orthocone is a more general term that can be used to describe any cephalopod that has this shape, not just the genus Orthoceras.

In summary, Orthoceras is a genus of extinct cephalopod, while Orthocone is a term that describes the shape or type of cephalopod, of which Orthoceras is one.

They do take a very good polish, with a lot of contrast. They are also good study grade pieces, and show off the segments very well.

Image credit:
Illustration of Orthoceras courtesy of Nobu Tamura, via Wikimedia Commons.