NHK's popular nature program "Darwin Has Come!" (General) will broadcast a segment titled "A Deep Study of Ammonites, the 'Unsung Heroes' of the Dinosaur Era" from 7:30 pm on December 7th. The program will focus on ammonites, which lived in the oceans of the dinosaur era. Japan is a world-famous source of these fossils, but their ecology remains shrouded in mystery.
During the age of dinosaurs, the main players in the oceans were giant marine reptiles such as mosasaurs, and ammonites are often thought of as supporting characters, but in fact they were the ``unsung heroes'' that flourished all over the world.
Japan is a world-famous source of ammonite fossils, and a wide variety of fossils have been discovered in Hokkaido, Kyushu, and other areas. However, their ecology remains shrouded in mystery. Using the ecology of their look-alike, the chambered nautilus, a "living fossil," as a clue, we will uncover the secret of their great prosperity and the mystery of their extinction.
