Description
Genuine Haugia jugosa Ammonite Fossil from France
This genuine Haugia jugosa ammonite fossil comes from Airvault in the Deux-Sèvres department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, western France. Dating from the Middle Toarcian Stage of the Lower Jurassic Period, this carefully selected specimen represents an extinct marine cephalopod that inhabited European seas approximately 180 million years ago.
The fossil is an authentic prehistoric specimen rather than a cast, replica or modern reproduction. It has been individually chosen for its natural character, geological interest and visible fossil detail. The listing photographs show the actual specimen you will receive, allowing its preservation, colour, shell form, matrix and individual features to be examined before purchase.
Please refer to the accompanying photographs for full sizing and scale information.
Middle Toarcian Geological Age
The Toarcian is the final stage of the Lower Jurassic Epoch and is an especially important interval in the evolutionary history of ammonites. It followed the Pliensbachian Stage and preceded the Aalenian Stage, during a time when marine environments covered large areas of what is now western Europe.
Haugia jugosa is associated with the Middle Toarcian, and the genus Haugia is particularly characteristic of ammonite-bearing strata within the Variabilis Zone. Ammonite zones divide sedimentary rock successions according to the appearance and distribution of distinctive ammonite groups. Because ammonites evolved rapidly and were widely distributed through prehistoric seas, they are among the most valuable index fossils used for dating and correlating Jurassic marine rocks.
A well-localised specimen from Airvault therefore provides both an attractive natural-history display piece and a tangible record of an important interval in the Jurassic geological timescale.
Haugia jugosa Shell Form and Ornamentation
Haugia jugosa possessed a planispirally coiled shell divided internally into multiple chambers. During life, the ammonite occupied the final and largest chamber, while the older chambers formed the buoyancy apparatus of the shell. These internal spaces were connected by a narrow tube known as the siphuncle, which enabled the animal to regulate gas and liquid within the chambered shell.
Species of Haugia are recognised by their robust coiling and strongly developed ornamentation. The shell is generally evolute to moderately evolute, leaving the earlier whorls visible around a distinct central umbilicus. Strong ribs extend across the flanks and may curve or project forward as they approach the outer part of the shell.
The ornamentation can vary through growth, with the inner whorls and mature shell displaying differences in rib strength, spacing and division. Depending on the specimen’s preservation, raised rib endings, stronger primary ribs or subtle tubercle-like swellings may also be visible. These morphological details helped strengthen the shell and are important diagnostic features used when comparing ammonite genera and species.
Natural wear, incomplete shell areas, mineral deposits, matrix attachments and changes in surface texture are normal features of genuine fossils. They reflect burial, fossilisation and geological weathering over millions of years rather than modern manufacturing.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Subclass: Ammonoidea
Order: Ammonitida
Superfamily: Hildoceratoidea
Family: Phymatoceratidae
Genus: Haugia
Species: Haugia jugosa
The species was originally described by the English naturalist and palaeontologist James Sowerby in 1815. The genus Haugia was later established by the British ammonite specialist Sydney Savory Buckman in 1888.
Ammonites were related to living cephalopods such as squid, cuttlefish, octopuses and nautiluses. Although their coiled shells can resemble those of modern nautiluses, ammonites formed a separate and highly diverse group that flourished throughout much of the Mesozoic Era.
Jurassic Marine Environment of Airvault
During the Middle Toarcian, the land now forming western France was influenced by shallow to moderately deep marine conditions connected to the developing Tethyan and Atlantic marine realms. Mud, carbonate material and the remains of marine organisms accumulated across the seabed, forming sedimentary layers that eventually hardened into rock.
The living ammonite probably moved through the water using jet propulsion, controlling its position with its chambered shell and feeding on small marine animals or organic material. After death, the shell settled onto the sea floor. Burial beneath sediment protected it from complete destruction by currents, scavengers and chemical dissolution.
As further layers accumulated, pressure compacted the sediment. Mineral-rich groundwater subsequently passed through the buried deposits, filling internal spaces and replacing or preserving portions of the shell. This prolonged geological process produced the fossil seen today.
The Airvault area is known for Jurassic sedimentary rocks and fossil-bearing deposits that preserve evidence of the marine organisms once inhabiting western France. Ammonites from this region are valued for their scientific locality information, distinctive preservation and importance in reconstructing Lower Jurassic marine ecosystems.
Actual Specimen with Certificate of Authenticity
This Haugia jugosa ammonite is supplied with a generic Certificate of Authenticity card carrying a lifetime guarantee, providing lasting reassurance that it is a genuine fossil specimen.
The photograph shows the exact fossil being offered rather than a stock or representative image. The specimen you receive will therefore have the same preservation, matrix, colouration and natural features visible in the listing photographs.
This fossil is suitable for ammonite collections, Jurassic displays, geological reference collections, educational use, natural-history cabinets and gifts for fossil enthusiasts. Its identified species, Middle Toarcian age and recorded Airvault locality make it an appealing specimen for both established collectors and anyone beginning a collection of authentic prehistoric fossils.
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