Fossil Ammonite – EUHOPLITES nitidus – Gault Clay, Middle Albian Cretaceous, Folkestone Kent UK

Description

This listing features a beautifully preserved fossil ammonite, EUHOPLITES nitidus, collected from the Gault Clay Formation at Folkestone, Kent, United Kingdom. This specimen dates to the Middle Albian Stage of the Cretaceous Period and represents a key ammonite species within the Hoplitidae family, showcasing the elegant form and detailed ornamentation typical of this genus.

Fossil Type & Species:

• Type: Ammonite (Extinct Marine Cephalopod)
• Species: Euhoplites nitidus
• Known for its finely ribbed, compressed shell and sharp keel

Geological Context:

• Era: Mesozoic
• Period: Cretaceous
• Epoch: Early Cretaceous
• Stage: Middle Albian (~107 to 105 million years ago)
• Formation: Gault Clay Formation
• Biozone: Euhoplites loricatus Subzone, part of the Mortoniceras fallax Zone
• Depositional Environment: A quiet, offshore marine environment characterised by fine-grained clay sediment and frequent anoxic events that enabled exceptional preservation of delicate fossil features

Morphological Features:

• Compressed, involute shell with narrow umbilicus
• Strong, closely spaced ribbing across the flanks
• Keel well-developed along the venter with prominent ventrolateral tubercles
• Elegant and balanced whorl profile typical of Euhoplites nitidus

Scientific Importance:

• Euhoplites nitidus is an important zonal fossil within the Middle Albian and used extensively in biostratigraphic correlation
• Helps define and correlate faunal zones within the Gault Clay and across European Cretaceous marine sequences
• A fine example of hoplitid diversity and adaptation during the Albian sea-level transgressions

Taxonomic Classification:

• Order: Ammonitida
• Superfamily: Hoplitoidea
• Family: Hoplitidae

Locality Information:

• Folkestone, Kent, UK – an iconic fossil locality for Middle Albian ammonites and marine life, well known for its richly fossiliferous Gault Clay exposures

Authenticity & Display:

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

This is an exceptional specimen of Euhoplites nitidus, ideal for collectors of ammonites, educational use, or lovers of British Cretaceous palaeontology.

Add this beautiful and scientifically important ammonite to your collection today—preserved from the marine clays of southern England over 105 million years ago.