Opalized ammonite fossils are some of the most unique and spectacular paleontological specimens. They were formed through a geological process known as opalization, wherein organic material from ...

The opalized remains of Eric, a pliosaur from the Mesozoic Era, were discovered in 1987 by an opal miner at Coober Pedy, South Australia. Today they’re displayed at the Australian Museum in ...

Later, he also found a fossilized jaw piece — one that was shiny and glistening with opal. After showing the two opalized specimens to paleontologists in 2014, Poben learned that they were part ...