Description
Dorsetensia lecrasticia Ammonite Fossil – Middle Jurassic, Dorset, UK
This genuine Dorsetensia lecrasticia ammonite fossil is a carefully chosen specimen from the Inferior Oolite Group at Sandford Lane, Sherborne, Dorset, UK. Dating to the Middle Jurassic Period, Bajocian Stage, Sauzei Zone, this fossil represents a highly collectable British Jurassic ammonite from one of Dorset’s classic inland fossil-bearing areas. The photograph shows the actual specimen you will receive, making this an excellent choice for fossil collectors, natural history enthusiasts, geology students, educational displays, and anyone interested in authentic UK Jurassic fossils.
Genuine Fossil with Certificate of Authenticity
This fossil is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. It has been selected as an individual natural history specimen, with full sizing shown in the photo. The fossil is supplied exactly as pictured, allowing buyers to view the preservation, shell form, surface detail, matrix, and natural character of the actual ammonite being offered.
Species and Fossil Type
Dorsetensia lecrasticia is an ammonite, an extinct marine cephalopod related to modern squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus. Ammonites are among the most recognisable fossils of the Jurassic Period and are especially valued for their coiled shells, ornamental ribbing, and importance in dating sedimentary rock layers. Dorsetensia is a Middle Jurassic ammonite genus associated with Bajocian marine faunas and is of particular interest to collectors of British Inferior Oolite ammonites.
Dorsetensia ammonites typically display a planispiral coiled shell, often with compressed whorls and ribbing that may vary through growth stage and preservation. In life, the animal occupied the outer body chamber of the shell, while the inner chambers helped regulate buoyancy in the ancient sea. The attractive spiral form, combined with genuine palaeontological significance, makes this specimen suitable for both display and study.
Geology and Age
This specimen comes from the Inferior Oolite Group, a well-known Middle Jurassic rock sequence exposed across parts of southern and western England. The Inferior Oolite was deposited during the Bajocian Stage, around 170 million years ago, when the Sherborne area lay beneath warm, shallow Jurassic seas. These marine environments supported a diverse ecosystem of ammonites, bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, echinoids, crinoids, and other shelly invertebrates.
The Sauzei Zone places this ammonite within an important Bajocian ammonite biozone. Ammonite biozones are widely used by geologists because ammonites evolved rapidly and were distributed across broad marine areas, making them highly useful for correlating and dating Jurassic strata. A Dorsetensia lecrasticia from the Sauzei Zone is therefore not only attractive as a natural display fossil, but also significant as a representative specimen from a defined part of the Middle Jurassic succession.
Locality – Sandford Lane, Sherborne, Dorset
Sandford Lane, near Sherborne in Dorset, is part of an inland fossil-bearing region associated with the Inferior Oolite Group. While Dorset is internationally famous for the Jurassic Coast, inland localities around Sherborne preserve a different and highly interesting part of the county’s geological history. These deposits represent Middle Jurassic marine conditions, younger than many of the famous Lower Jurassic coastal fossil beds around Lyme Regis and Charmouth.
The Sandford Lane locality gives this ammonite excellent provenance and strong regional interest. Fossils from named locations are especially desirable because they preserve a clear connection to their original geological setting. For collectors of Dorset fossils, British ammonites, Bajocian cephalopods, Inferior Oolite fossils, and Sherborne-area specimens, this piece offers both display appeal and scientific value.
Scientific and Collectable Interest
This Dorsetensia lecrasticia ammonite is a collectable British Jurassic fossil with strong geological and palaeontological appeal. Its named species, Inferior Oolite Group provenance, Bajocian age, Sauzei Zone association, and Sherborne locality make it suitable for a specialist fossil collection, natural history cabinet, educational geology set, museum-style display, or thoughtful gift for a fossil enthusiast.
Ammonites remain one of the most popular fossil groups because they combine natural beauty with genuine scientific importance. This specimen represents an animal that once lived in the warm Jurassic seas covering what is now Dorset, offering a tangible connection to an ancient marine world preserved in stone for millions of years.
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