Description
Genuine Pair of Eomesodon trigonus Fossil Fish from the Jurassic of Oxfordshire
This exceptional fossil specimen features two fossil fish of the species Eomesodon trigonus preserved together in limestone from the famous Ardley Quarry in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. These fossils originate from the Ardley Member of the White Limestone Formation, dating to the Middle Jurassic period (Bathonian stage) approximately 166–168 million years ago.
The specimen shown in the photographs is the exact fossil you will receive, carefully selected for preservation and scientific interest. This genuine fossil includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee card, confirming that it is a natural specimen.
Please refer to the photographs for the full size and scale of the fossil slab.
Geological Origin – White Limestone Formation
The fossil originates from the Ardley Member of the White Limestone Formation, one of the best-known Jurassic fossil-bearing units in southern England. Ardley Quarry near the village of Ardley in Oxfordshire is internationally recognised for producing exceptionally preserved marine fossils from the Bathonian stage of the Middle Jurassic.
During the Bathonian, much of Britain was covered by warm, shallow subtropical marine seas. The White Limestone Formation consists largely of pale micritic limestone deposited in low-energy lagoonal and shallow shelf environments. These calm marine conditions allowed delicate organisms such as fish, crustaceans, and marine invertebrates to become preserved within fine carbonate sediments.
The Ardley Member is particularly notable for its well-preserved vertebrate fossils, including fossil fish, marine reptiles, and other marine organisms that lived within these Jurassic coastal ecosystems.
The Fossil Fish Species – Eomesodon trigonus
Eomesodon trigonus is an extinct species of pycnodontiform fish, belonging to the Order Pycnodontiformes within the Family Pycnodontidae. Pycnodonts were a group of laterally compressed marine fishes that thrived from the Late Triassic through the Eocene.
These fishes are easily recognisable due to their distinctive body shape and specialised dentition. They possessed deep, disk-shaped bodies and powerful jaws equipped with rounded crushing teeth adapted for feeding on hard-shelled prey such as molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms.
Key features of Eomesodon trigonus include:
- A deep, triangular body profile typical of pycnodont fishes
- Robust jaws with pavement-like crushing teeth
- Strong dorsal and anal fins positioned towards the rear of the body
- Thick scales that provided protection against predators
These anatomical adaptations suggest that Eomesodon trigonus lived as a durophagous feeder, crushing shelled organisms that lived on or within the seafloor.
Jurassic Marine Ecosystem
The Middle Jurassic seas of what is now Oxfordshire hosted a diverse marine ecosystem. Reef-like carbonate platforms and shallow lagoons supported a wide range of marine life including ammonites, bivalves, echinoids, crustaceans, marine reptiles, and numerous species of fish.
Pycnodont fishes such as Eomesodon trigonus were well adapted to these environments. Their strong teeth allowed them to exploit food sources unavailable to many other fishes, helping them occupy a specialised ecological niche within Jurassic marine communities.
Fossils from Ardley Quarry provide important insights into the structure of these ancient ecosystems and are widely studied by palaeontologists examining Jurassic marine biodiversity.
Collector and Display Information
- Species: Eomesodon trigonus
- Fossil Type: Fossil Fish (Pycnodontiform fish)
- Quantity: Two fish preserved on the same slab
- Geological Age: Middle Jurassic, Bathonian Stage
- Formation: White Limestone Formation
- Member: Ardley Member
- Locality: Ardley Quarry, Ardley, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
- Authenticity: 100% genuine fossil specimen
- Documentation: Includes Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee card
- Identification: Eomesodon trigonus was formally described by the pioneering palaeontologist Louis Agassiz, whose work established the foundations of fossil fish classification.
This fossil slab featuring two Jurassic fish preserved together represents an excellent collector specimen from a classic British Jurassic locality. It is an outstanding piece for fossil collectors, natural history enthusiasts, geological displays, or educational collections focusing on ancient marine life of the Jurassic seas.
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