Ammonite jaws give clues about creature's diet

Scientists studying ammonite fossils say they may have have found a clue to the prehistoric creatures' feeding habits.

From X-rays images, the researchers were able to create a 3D reconstruction of a straight-shelled ammonite's mouthparts.

Writing in the journal Science, the team says the presence of a tongue-like structure, called the radula, suggests ammonites preyed on small organisms such as plankton.

Isabelle Kruta, from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, explains what the reconstruction revealed, and why it is significant.

Footage courtesy Isabelle Kruta, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; P. Tafforeau, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France; Alexandre Lethiers, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.