photo

Ammonite

Preview Illustration of the extinct ammonite, related to the modern squid.
(Mary Parrish/Smithsonian Institution)

Like the modern nautilus, this relative of modern squid hunted from inside the safe haven of a protective shell. Ammonites went extinct around the same time as the dinosaurs—65 million years ago.  Find more about ocean predators in our interactive timeline Who's on Top?