David K - 12-29-2005 at 08:03 AM
From my large collection of old Baja photos given to me by Choral Pepper (publisher of Desert Magazine and often traveled with the Erle Stanley
Gardner expeditions) was this gem... A photo dated June 1963 of an ammonite as it is found in the rock hillside. The caption reads:
"Harold with dig for pre-historic SNAIL Baja Calif. about 350 - miles south of the border"
Samples of ammonites can be seen in El Rosario inside Mama Espinoza's restaurant and the town museum in El Rosario de Abajo. They were found along the
road to Santa Catarina/ Punta Canoas.
Tomas Tierra - 12-29-2005 at 01:40 PM
Awesome shot DK!! have often marveled at those in Mama E's.
Just goes to show you how rich and unique that zone is..TT
David K - 12-29-2005 at 05:34 PM
Yup... it's neat to see what they look like still attached to 'ol mother earth!
Tomas Tierra - 12-29-2005 at 05:52 PM
I'd like to see a fossil of the creature that ate that with garlic and drawn butter!!
David K - 12-29-2005 at 05:54 PM
Caracol mojo de ajo!
Taco de Baja - 12-30-2005 at 10:01 AM
Ammonites are actually cephalopods (related to squid) not snails (which are gastropods).
But, they would still probably have been good with mantequilla and ajo.
As a side note, the name ammonite comes from the resemblance of the shell to the ram horns of the Greek name for the Egyptian God Ammon (Egyptian
name Amun). Alexander the Great apparently claimed/believed Ammon was his father.
David K - 12-30-2005 at 12:10 PM
Thanks TdB for the great details!!!
mcgyver - 12-31-2005 at 01:03 PM
I was just down there a few weeks ago and people are still digging for them, the ground is covered with broken ones. The last hill on that road is a
good one.
Taco de Baja - 1-1-2006 at 10:45 AM
When I was there 10 +/- years ago all I saw were broken ones, along with a lot of fossil palm wood.