Description
Genuine Cadomites cf. deslongchampsi Ammonite Fossil
This is a genuine Cadomites cf. deslongchampsi ammonite fossil from the Great Oolite Group, Middle Jurassic, Bathonian Stage, collected from Wiltshire, UK. This carefully chosen fossil specimen is an excellent addition for collectors of British ammonites, Jurassic marine fossils, Wiltshire fossils, extinct cephalopods, natural history specimens, and well-labelled palaeontological display pieces.
The photograph shows the actual fossil you will receive, allowing you to view the individual preservation, shell form, surface detail, colour, matrix, and natural character of this specific specimen before purchase. Full sizing details can be seen in the photo. This fossil includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, confirming it as a genuine specimen.
Fossil Type, Genus and Scientific Identification
Cadomites cf. deslongchampsi is an ammonite, an extinct marine cephalopod belonging to the order Ammonitida. Ammonites were related to modern squid, cuttlefish, octopus, and nautilus, and are among the most recognisable fossils of the Jurassic Period. Their coiled shells, chambered internal structure, varied ornamentation, and rapid evolutionary changes make them highly valued by fossil collectors and important in palaeontology.
The identification Cadomites cf. deslongchampsi means this specimen is comparable to Cadomites deslongchampsi. The abbreviation “cf.” is used in scientific labelling when a fossil closely resembles a recognised species but is identified with careful caution, often because of preservation, natural wear, incomplete shell features, or subtle taxonomic variation. This gives the specimen strong collecting interest while keeping the identification appropriately precise.
Cadomites is commonly associated with the family Stephanoceratidae, a group of Middle Jurassic ammonites often recognised for rounded whorls, strong ribbing, compact coiling, and a bold sculptural fossil appearance. These ammonites are of particular interest in Middle Jurassic biostratigraphy, where shell features help geologists compare and date marine sedimentary rock layers.
Geological Age and Great Oolite Group
This fossil comes from the Great Oolite Group, a classic British Middle Jurassic succession known for limestones, marls, clays, and fossil-rich marine deposits. The specimen dates to the Bathonian Stage of the Middle Jurassic, approximately 168 to 166 million years ago.
During the Bathonian, southern Britain was covered by warm, shallow seas and coastal marine environments. These settings supported ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, echinoids, corals, crinoids, and other marine organisms. Ammonites such as Cadomites lived as active swimming cephalopods, moving through the water column before their shells eventually settled onto the sea floor after death.
Burial in carbonate-rich sediment helped protect some shells from destruction. Over millions of years, mineralisation, compaction, and natural geological alteration preserved the ammonite form as a fossil within the Great Oolite Group.
Wiltshire Jurassic Locality
Wiltshire is an important county for British Jurassic geology, with Middle Jurassic deposits that form part of the wider southern England sedimentary basin. Fossils from this region are collectable because they represent classic British marine environments and provide a valuable record of the ancient ecosystems that existed during the Bathonian.
The Great Oolite Group in Wiltshire reflects changing shallow marine conditions, including carbonate sedimentation, shell-rich sea-floor deposits, and environments suitable for the preservation of marine invertebrates. A Wiltshire Cadomites cf. deslongchampsi ammonite therefore offers both attractive display appeal and strong geological context.
Ammonite Morphology and Natural Features
Cadomites cf. deslongchampsi displays the classic planispiral ammonite shell form, with the shell coiled in a flat spiral. Ammonites of this group are often appreciated for their rounded whorls, ribbed ornamentation, visible umbilicus, and strong three-dimensional structure. Depending on preservation, this fossil may show rib detail, whorl shape, shell ornamentation, natural mineral staining, matrix attachment, surface wear, or fossilisation texture.
The shell was divided internally into chambers, with the living animal occupying the outer body chamber. These chambers helped regulate buoyancy in the water column, while the outer shell shape, ribbing, whorl proportions, and ornamentation are key features used in ammonite comparison and identification.
Natural details such as small fractures, sedimentary contact marks, weathered areas, colour variation, mineral deposits, and matrix are part of the fossil’s geological history. These features give the specimen individuality and help distinguish a genuine natural fossil from a modern cast or replica.
Collecting, Display and Educational Interest
This Cadomites cf. deslongchampsi ammonite fossil is well suited for display in a fossil cabinet, study, classroom, office, collection drawer, natural history arrangement, or British Jurassic fossil collection. Its careful “cf.” identification, Great Oolite Group origin, Middle Jurassic Bathonian age, and Wiltshire locality give it strong collecting appeal.
It is suitable for collectors interested in Wiltshire fossils, British ammonites, Jurassic marine life, extinct cephalopods, palaeontology, geology, educational fossil specimens, and classic ammonite display pieces. The natural coiled shell form gives the fossil immediate visual impact, while the species comparison and geological formation provide valuable scientific context for anyone interested in prehistoric marine environments.
Authenticity and Specimen Details
This is a genuine Cadomites cf. deslongchampsi ammonite fossil from the Great Oolite Group, Middle Jurassic, Bathonian Stage, Wiltshire, UK. It includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. The photo shows the actual fossil you will receive, and full sizing information can be seen in the photo.
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