▁have ▁had ▁a ▁re product ive ▁strategy ▁in ▁which ▁eggs ▁were ▁laid ▁in ▁smaller ▁batch es ▁many ▁times ▁during ▁the ▁lif es pan , ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁sea ▁floor ▁well ▁away ▁from ▁any ▁direct ▁effects ▁of ▁such ▁a ▁bol ide ▁strike , ▁and ▁thus ▁surv ived . ▁ ▁Many ▁am mon ite ▁species ▁were ▁filter - feed ers , ▁so ▁they ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁particularly ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁marine ▁fa unal ▁turno vers ▁and ▁clim atic ▁change . ▁ ▁There ▁have ▁been ▁reliable ▁reports ▁of ▁am mon ite ▁foss ils ▁from ▁the ▁early ▁Pale oc ene . ▁The ▁main ▁foss il ▁find ▁of ▁a ▁Pale oc ene ▁Am m ono idea ▁is ▁a ▁Sc aph it idae ▁ident ▁from ▁Turk men istan . ▁ ▁Cultural ▁significance ▁ ▁In ▁medieval ▁Europe , ▁foss il ised ▁am mon ites ▁were ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁pet r ified ▁co iled ▁sn akes , ▁and ▁were ▁called ▁" s nak est ones " ▁or , ▁more ▁commonly ▁in ▁medieval ▁England , ▁" ser pent st ones ". ▁ ▁They ▁were ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁evidence ▁for ▁the ▁actions ▁of ▁sain ts , ▁such ▁as ▁H ilda ▁of ▁Whit by , ▁a ▁myth ▁referenced ▁in ▁Sir ▁Walter ▁Scott ' s ▁Mar m ion , ▁and ▁Saint ▁Patrick , ▁and ▁were ▁held ▁to ▁have ▁he aling ▁or ▁or ac ular ▁powers . ▁Trad ers ▁would ▁occasionally ▁car ve ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁a ▁s nake ▁onto ▁the ▁empty , ▁wide ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁am mon ite ▁foss il , ▁and ▁then