Jurassic Nautilus Fossil Ringstead Bay Dorset UK Oxfordian Corallian Genuine

Overview & Authenticity

Offered here is a genuine Jurassic Nautilus fossil collected from the classic Corallian Formation at Ringstead Bay, Dorset, UK. This is a carefully chosen British marine cephalopod specimen, selected for preservation quality, strong shell detail, and excellent display presence. The photographs show the actual fossil you will receive, ensuring complete transparency and confidence for collectors.
Every specimen is supplied with a Certificate of Authenticity, including a lifetime guarantee of genuineness, provided on a generic authenticity card.

This fossil was personally discovered by our own experienced team members Alister and Alison on 20 January 2024, and has been professionally cleaned, prepared, and treated by Alison, ensuring it is stabilised and ready for long-term preservation.

Geological Setting – Corallian Formation, Ringstead Bay

Ringstead Bay is one of Dorset’s finest fossil localities, exposing richly fossiliferous marine rocks from the Upper Jurassic. This specimen comes from the Corallian Formation, deposited during the Oxfordian Stage, approximately 163–157 million years ago.
During the Oxfordian, southern Britain lay beneath warm, shallow subtropical seas with carbonate sedimentation, reef development, and abundant marine invertebrate life. The Corallian rocks are especially known for preserving marine fossils associated with these reefal and near-reef environments.

Fossil Type & Cephalopod Origin

Nautiloids are marine cephalopods belonging to the subclass Nautiloidea, a lineage that still survives today in the modern Nautilus. Unlike ammonites, nautiloids have simpler suture patterns and represent an older evolutionary group of shelled cephalopods.

• Phylum: Mollusca

• Class: Cephalopoda

• Subclass: Nautiloidea

• Order: Nautilida

Jurassic nautiloids are relatively less common than ammonites, making well-preserved specimens from Dorset especially desirable.

Morphology & Notable Features

This fossil preserves the characteristic planispirally coiled shell of a nautilus, with internal chambers separated by septa. These chambers provided buoyancy control, allowing the animal to move efficiently through the Jurassic seas.
Nautiloid shells typically display smooth curvature and a robust profile compared to many ammonites. Depending on preservation, subtle growth lines and natural shell structure may be visible. Alison’s careful preparation work ensures the fossil’s shape and detail are presented clearly while maintaining authenticity.

Depositional Environment & Fossilisation

During the Oxfordian, nautiloids inhabited warm shallow marine environments, swimming above carbonate seabeds and reef systems. After death, their shells settled to the seafloor and were buried by carbonate sediments.
Over millions of years, lithification and mineral replacement preserved the shell within the Corallian limestone matrix. Reef-associated formations such as the Corallian are particularly important for preserving marine fossils in strong three-dimensional form.

Collecting & Display Value

A genuine Jurassic Nautilus fossil from Ringstead Bay represents a remarkable piece of Dorset’s marine heritage and a direct connection to life in the seas of the Oxfordian Stage. Nautiloids are prized for their evolutionary significance, rarity compared to ammonites, and striking natural form.
Full sizing details are provided in the photographs. As a team-collected, expertly prepared specimen supplied with a Certificate of Authenticity and lifetime guarantee, this Nautilus fossil is ideal for serious collectors, educational collections, or museum-style display.