The fossils, stone stamps of organisms which lived in very far
geological epochs, are a great and fascinating natural element and, at
the same time, an inexhaustible source of study of what happened in the
past geological eras. In the area of Monte Cucco Park this heritage is even more astonishing and rich in finds.
The paleontological material is contained in the Jurassic-Cretaceous
calcareous and marly sedimentary rocks (from 200 to 120 million years
ago). The most interesting fossiliferous horizons come from Calcare
Massiccio, Rosso Ammonitico (Middle-upper Lias, 194-180 million years
ago), Grigio Ammonitico (Malm 155-145 million years ago) and, more
rarely, from Calcare Maiolica. In these strata there are mainly
ammonites, index fossils of the Jurassic period, belemnites,
brachiopods, lamellibranches, gastropods, and cephalopods.
The ammonites are spiral shells, whose interior consists of hollow
chambers separated by walls. They were Cephalopods molluscs (the
tentacles came out of the head which, in case of need, stretched out of
the shell) very similar to the current Nautilus, with which they shared
the floating system: the inner chambers were filled with water or
emptied in case they wanted to go down or came back to the surface.
In Sigillo, the Study and Research Center "Anzia Mercuri Brascugli" has
organized, with the support of Banca dell'Umbria and in collaboration
with the Earth Sciences Department of the University of Perugia and the
Municipality of Sigillo, a display with the most significant finds,
completed with an explanation regarding the research activities carried
out in the field and enriched with a scientific itinerary to promote
the knowledge of this field. The display has been organized on the
occasion of the establishment of Monte Cucco Park Authority.