Fossil Ammonite – DIMORPHOPLITES chloris – Gault Clay, Middle Albian Cretaceous, Folkestone Kent UK

Description

This listing features a well-preserved specimen of DIMORPHOPLITES chloris, a rare and scientifically valuable ammonite from the Middle Albian Stage of the Cretaceous Period, found in the Gault Clay Formation at Folkestone, Kent, UK. This striking fossil showcases the exceptional preservation and fine morphological detail typical of Gault Clay ammonites.

Fossil Type & Species:

• Type: Ammonite (Extinct Marine Cephalopod)
• Species: Dimorphoplites chloris
• Recognised for its distinctive ribbing pattern and transitional morphology within the hoplitid lineage

Geological Context:

• Era: Mesozoic
• Period: Cretaceous
• Epoch: Early Cretaceous
• Stage: Middle Albian (~107 to 105 million years ago)
• Formation: Gault Clay Formation
• Depositional Environment: Marine shelf to offshore basin with anoxic, clay-rich sediments. These conditions allowed for excellent fossil preservation, capturing fine external ornamentation in exquisite detail

Morphological Features:

• Involute shell with compressed whorls and relatively small umbilicus
• Bold, regularly spaced ribs that may bifurcate mid-flank
• Strongly keeled venter, with well-developed ventrolateral tubercles in mature specimens
• Transitional form between earlier hoplitids and more derived ammonites of the later Albian

Scientific Importance:

• Dimorphoplites chloris is an important biostratigraphic marker used to define key intervals within the Middle Albian ammonite zonation
• The genus is significant for understanding evolutionary trends within the Hoplitidae family during a time of rapid ammonoid diversification in the Cretaceous

Locality Information:

• Folkestone, Kent, UK – one of the most productive and scientifically significant sites for collecting Middle Albian fossils from the Gault Clay, including diverse ammonites, bivalves, and marine vertebrates

Authenticity & Display:

All of our fossils are 100% Genuine Specimens and include a Certificate of Authenticity. The photos in this listing show the actual specimen you will receive. Please refer to the image for full sizing – note the scale cube = 1cm.

This is a carefully selected specimen of Dimorphoplites chloris, perfect for fossil enthusiasts, collectors of British Cretaceous material, or those interested in the evolutionary history of ammonites.

Add a scientifically significant piece of Cretaceous marine life to your collection—over 105 million years old, from the historic fossil beds of Folkestone.