Bigotites thevenini Ammonite Fossil Jurassic France Genuine COA Card – Upper Bajocian Normandy Collector Specimen

Description

Bigotites thevenini Ammonite Fossil from Calvados, Normandy, France

This is a genuine Bigotites thevenini ammonite fossil from the Middle Jurassic, Upper Bajocian stage, collected from Calvados, Normandy, France. This carefully chosen fossil is a desirable European Jurassic marine cephalopod specimen, selected for its natural form, geological interest, and display appeal. It is supplied with a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, making it a trusted addition to an ammonite collection, fossil cabinet, natural history display, educational geology collection, or prehistoric gift selection.

The photograph shows the actual fossil specimen you will receive. Full sizing and scale can be seen in the photo.

Geological Age and Locality

This ammonite dates to the Upper Bajocian, part of the Middle Jurassic Period, approximately 169 million years old. The Bajocian was a major interval in ammonite evolution, with many distinct and highly collectable forms developing across the warm European seas. Ammonites from this stage are particularly important because they are widely used in biostratigraphy, helping geologists identify and compare Jurassic rock layers across different regions.

The fossil comes from Calvados in Normandy, France, a region known for its classic Jurassic sedimentary geology. During the Middle Jurassic, this part of northern France was covered by shallow to moderately deep marine environments connected to wider European seaways. These ancient seas deposited limestones, marls, clays, and shell-rich sediments that preserved a wide range of marine fossils, including ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, echinoids, crinoids, fish remains, and other prehistoric sea life.

Fossil Type and Species

This specimen is identified as Bigotites thevenini, an extinct ammonite species from the Middle Jurassic. Ammonites were marine molluscs related to modern squid, cuttlefish, octopus, and nautilus. They had coiled external shells divided into internal chambers, with the living animal occupying the outer body chamber. The older chambers helped regulate buoyancy, allowing the ammonite to move through the water column.

Bigotites is a Jurassic ammonite genus associated with the diverse Bajocian ammonite faunas of Europe. Like many ammonites, its shell form, whorl shape, ribbing, and suture features are important for scientific identification. Fossils such as this are valued both as display pieces and as examples of the rapid evolutionary changes that make ammonites so useful for dating Jurassic marine rocks.

Morphology and Notable Features

Bigotites ammonites are appreciated by collectors for their attractive coiled shell form and strong Jurassic character. The shell is typically planispiral, with whorls arranged in a neat spiral around the centre. Depending on preservation, specimens may show visible whorl structure, a defined umbilical region, natural ribbing, shell texture, mineralisation, and surface detail formed during the ammonite’s growth.

The ribs and whorl profile give the fossil visual depth and help show how the animal’s shell developed through life. Internal chamber walls, known as septa, divided the shell, and the lines where these septa met the shell surface formed suture patterns. These structural details are among the features that make ammonites scientifically important and highly collectable.

As a genuine fossil, this specimen may show natural matrix, fossil shell texture, mineral staining, colour variation, weathering, small chips, cracks, or areas of natural wear caused by fossilisation and geological history. These features are normal for authentic fossils and add to the individuality of the piece. The photo shows the exact specimen being offered, allowing the buyer to view its preservation, condition, size, and display quality before purchase.

Middle Jurassic Marine Environment

This Bigotites thevenini ammonite lived in the warm marine waters that covered Normandy during the Upper Bajocian. These seas supported a rich ecosystem of swimming cephalopods, seabed invertebrates, fish, and other marine organisms. Ammonites were active swimming or drifting animals, likely feeding on small prey in the water column using tentacles.

After death, the ammonite shell settled onto the seabed, where it could become buried by sediment. Over millions of years, mineralisation, compaction, and geological change transformed the shell and surrounding sediment into a fossil. This specimen is a direct link to the Middle Jurassic seas of France, when dinosaurs lived on land while ammonites were among the most successful animals in the oceans.

Authenticity and Collectability

This Bigotites thevenini ammonite fossil is a genuine specimen from Calvados, Normandy, France, dating to the Upper Bajocian of the Middle Jurassic, and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. It is suitable for collectors of French fossils, Jurassic ammonites, Middle Jurassic marine fossils, European fossils, natural history specimens, educational geology pieces, and display fossils.

The fossil shown in the photo is the actual specimen you will receive.