Description
Genuine Dactylioceras Fossil Ammonite Impression from Whitby, Yorkshire
An authentic Dactylioceras fossil ammonite impression from the famous Upper Toarcian Jurassic deposits of Whitby, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. This remarkable fossil preserves the natural impression of an ancient ammonite shell within the original Jurassic sediment, providing a detailed record of marine life that existed approximately 175–180 million years ago.
This fossil is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. The photographs show the exact specimen you will receive. Full sizing please see photo.
Your specimen was discovered by our own team members, Alister and Alison, and has been professionally cleaned, prepped and treated by Alison to preserve the delicate fossil detail and integrity of the surrounding matrix.
About Dactylioceras
Dactylioceras is an extinct genus of ammonite belonging to the Family Dactylioceratidae within the Order Ammonitida. These marine cephalopods thrived throughout the Early Jurassic and were close relatives of modern squid, octopus and nautilus.
The genus is especially well known for its elegant coiled shell and strong ribbed ornamentation. Distinctive bifurcating ribs radiate across the shell whorls, creating the highly decorative appearance that makes Dactylioceras one of the most recognisable and collectible British ammonites.
During life, these fast-swimming marine predators inhabited warm shallow seas that once covered much of what is now northern England. Ammonites used jet propulsion to navigate through the Jurassic oceans while feeding on smaller marine organisms.
The rapid evolutionary development of Dactylioceras species makes them important index fossils used by geologists for correlating Jurassic rock layers across Europe.
Fossil Impression Preservation
Unlike fully preserved shell fossils, this specimen represents a natural ammonite impression formed when the original shell became buried within soft marine sediment. Over millions of years, the shell dissolved away while leaving behind a highly detailed mould preserving the original shape and ornamentation.
These impressions often capture exceptional shell detail, including rib patterns, whorl structure and growth lines, creating an attractive and scientifically important style of preservation. Fossil impressions from Whitby are especially sought after because they preserve the natural form of the ammonite in the surrounding Jurassic matrix.
The preserved impression offers a direct glimpse into the burial and fossilisation processes that occurred on the Jurassic seabed.
Geological Age and Whitby Formation
This fossil originates from the Upper Toarcian stage of the Early Jurassic, recovered from the world-famous fossil-bearing deposits along the Whitby coastline in North Yorkshire.
During the Jurassic period, Yorkshire lay beneath a warm shallow marine sea rich in ammonites, belemnites, fish and marine reptiles. Fine muds accumulated across the seabed and eventually formed the Whitby Mudstone Formation, one of Britain’s most important fossil-bearing geological units.
Low oxygen conditions within parts of the seabed environment helped preserve delicate marine organisms and impressions in remarkable detail. These deposits have been studied extensively for centuries and continue to produce scientifically important fossils.
Whitby is internationally recognised as one of the finest Jurassic fossil localities in the United Kingdom.
Fossil Preparation and Natural Detail
This genuine ammonite impression has been carefully cleaned and prepared to reveal the natural shell mould while preserving the surrounding rock matrix. The specimen may display fine ribbing, whorl patterns and subtle sedimentary textures associated with fossilisation.
Each impression fossil from Whitby is unique, with natural variations in preservation, mineralisation and matrix colouration resulting from millions of years of geological processes.
No replicas or casts are involved. The fossil shown in the photographs is the exact specimen you will receive.
The careful preparation by Alison ensures the specimen remains stable and suitable for long-term collecting, study and display.
Ideal for Fossil Collectors and Displays
This authentic Dactylioceras ammonite impression is ideal for:
- Fossil collectors
- Jurassic fossil collections
- Whitby fossil collections
- Ammonite enthusiasts
- Geological study collections
- Marine fossil displays
- Educational collections
- Natural history enthusiasts
Impression fossils are particularly attractive because they preserve the original form and texture of ancient organisms within the natural Jurassic sediment.
Certificate of Authenticity Included
All of our fossils are guaranteed 100% genuine specimens and include a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. We personally recover many of our fossils from UK localities and professionally prepare them in-house to ensure authenticity and quality.
The fossil photographed is the exact specimen you will receive, making this a unique and genuine piece of Jurassic marine history from the famous fossil-bearing deposits of Whitby, North Yorkshire, England.
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