Erycites picenus Ammonite Fossil Lower Jurassic Toarcian Marche Italy Rare Piece | Genuine Italian Collector Specimen

Description

Genuine Erycites picenus Ammonite Fossil

This carefully selected fossil is a genuine Erycites picenus ammonite from the Marche region of Italy. It dates to the Toarcian stage of the Lower Jurassic. The photographs show the actual specimen you will receive, allowing its natural shape, preservation, colour, matrix and visible fossil detail to be examined before purchase. Please refer to the photographs for full sizing and scale.

Lower Jurassic Toarcian Geology

The Toarcian Age formed the final part of the Early Jurassic and lasted from approximately 182 to 174 million years ago. During this interval, much of southern Europe lay beneath marine waters connected to the developing Tethys Ocean. Carbonate-rich sediment, mud and other material accumulated on the seabed and eventually formed the fossil-bearing rocks now exposed in the Apennine region.

The Toarcian was an important interval of environmental change. Variations in sea level, oxygenation and climate affected marine ecosystems and sedimentation. Ammonites diversified through this changing world, and their rapidly evolving lineages provide palaeontologists with exceptionally useful markers for dating and correlating Jurassic strata.

Erycites picenus

Erycites is an extinct ammonite genus within the order Ammonitida. Ammonites were marine cephalopods related to living squid, octopus and nautilus. Their coiled shells were divided internally into chambers. The animal occupied the final outer chamber, while sealed earlier chambers helped regulate buoyancy as the shell grew.

Erycites picenus is a named Toarcian species associated with Italian marine deposits. Identification considers shell characteristics such as coiling, whorl proportions, umbilical width, ribbing and the form of the outer margin. These features allow specialists to distinguish closely related ammonites and place them within the sequence of Jurassic faunas.

Fossil preservation varies naturally. A specimen may retain original shell material, mineral replacement, an impression or an internal mould produced when sediment entered the shell before burial. Matrix, worn surfaces, small fractures and irregular edges record fossilisation, compaction and later geological exposure. They are authentic aspects of the specimen rather than manufactured defects.

Marche and the Apennine Region

Marche lies on the eastern side of the central Apennines, an area renowned for marine Jurassic rocks. These strata preserve evidence of sedimentation along ancient Tethyan basins and submarine highs. Ammonites recovered from the region allow Italian successions to be compared with equivalent Toarcian rocks elsewhere in Europe and around the former Tethys Ocean.

The species name picenus reflects a connection with Picenum, the historic region broadly corresponding to modern Marche. A specimen with this identification therefore carries a particularly appropriate relationship between its scientific name and geographic provenance. It represents an extinct animal that inhabited the Jurassic sea long before uplift and erosion created today’s Italian landscape.

Actual Specimen for Collection or Display

You will receive the exact fossil shown in the photographs. Its named species, Toarcian age and Marche locality make it suitable for a specialist ammonite collection, geological study, educational display, natural-history cabinet or a distinctive gift for a fossil enthusiast. The photographs are the definitive guide to this individual specimen’s preservation and appearance.

Certificate of Authenticity

The fossil is supplied with a generic Certificate of Authenticity card carrying a lifetime guarantee of authenticity. Handle it carefully and avoid soaking, harsh cleaning chemicals, excessive humidity and sudden temperature changes. Display it on a stable support so natural edges, matrix and any exposed shell ornament remain protected.