Description
Genuine Hypacanthoceras falcatum Ammonite Fossil from Glynde, East Sussex
This is a genuine Hypacanthoceras falcatum ammonite fossil from Glynde, East Sussex, UK, dating to the Middle Cenomanian Stage of the Upper Cretaceous. This carefully chosen specimen represents an authentic British chalk ammonite from the warm marine seas that once covered southern England around 96 to 94 million years ago. Fossils from the Glynde area are especially collectable because they come from a classic East Sussex Cretaceous locality with strong geological and palaeontological interest.
The fossil shown in the photograph is the actual specimen you will receive. Full sizing can be seen in the photo. This fossil also includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, making it suitable for fossil collectors, chalk fossil enthusiasts, educational geology displays, natural history cabinets, and collectors of genuine British Cretaceous ammonites.
Fossil Type and Species
Hypacanthoceras falcatum is an ammonite, an extinct marine cephalopod related to modern squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus. Ammonites lived inside coiled, chambered shells. The animal occupied the final outer body chamber, while the earlier internal chambers helped regulate buoyancy, allowing it to move through the water column of the ancient Cretaceous sea.
The genus Hypacanthoceras belongs to the order Ammonitida and is associated with the family Acanthoceratidae, an important group of Cretaceous ammonites known for strong ribbing, ornamented whorls, and raised tubercles or nodular shell features. These bold sculptural traits make acanthoceratid ammonites highly recognisable and especially desirable to collectors of Upper Cretaceous marine fossils.
Middle Cenomanian Upper Cretaceous Age
This ammonite dates to the Middle Cenomanian, an important interval within the early part of the Upper Cretaceous Period. The Cenomanian was a time of high global sea levels, warm climates, and widespread marine environments across Europe. During this stage, southern Britain lay beneath a shallow epicontinental sea, where carbonate-rich sediment accumulated on the sea floor and later became part of the famous English chalk succession.
Ammonites such as Hypacanthoceras are important in Cretaceous geology because they evolved rapidly and were distributed through broad marine basins. Their distinctive shell forms allow geologists to use them as guide fossils for dating and correlating chalk, marl, limestone, and other marine deposits. A named species such as Hypacanthoceras falcatum adds extra scientific and collectable value, linking the specimen to a defined part of Britain’s Cenomanian fossil record.
Glynde, East Sussex Geological Setting
Glynde in East Sussex is associated with fossil-bearing Upper Cretaceous deposits from the classic chalk region of southern England. The Glynde area lies within a landscape shaped by ancient marine sedimentation, later uplift, erosion, and quarrying. These deposits preserve evidence of the chalk sea, a warm marine environment rich in microscopic calcareous plankton, ammonites, bivalves, echinoids, brachiopods, sponges, fish remains, and other marine life.
The chalk and chalk-marl sediments formed as fine carbonate material settled through clear seawater onto the sea floor. Ammonite shells that sank after death could become buried within these sediments, later undergoing compaction, mineralisation, and fossilisation. Natural matrix, chalky texture, mineral staining, compression, surface wear, and small imperfections are all part of the fossil’s genuine geological history.
Morphology and Display Features
Hypacanthoceras falcatum has the classic ornamented form associated with Cenomanian acanthoceratid ammonites. The shell is planispirally coiled, forming a flat spiral with whorls that expanded outward as the animal grew. Depending on preservation, the fossil may show curved or falcate ribbing, whorl shape, raised tubercles, shell texture, chamber detail, natural mineral colour, and matrix attachment.
The species name falcatum refers to a sickle-like or curved form, reflecting the distinctive style of ribbing associated with this ammonite. These ribs and tubercles gave the shell a strong sculptural appearance and are important features used in ammonite identification. For collectors, this ornament makes the fossil visually appealing, while its Middle Cenomanian age and East Sussex locality give it strong geological context.
Certificate of Authenticity Included
This Hypacanthoceras falcatum ammonite fossil is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. It has been selected as an individual fossil, with the photograph showing the exact specimen supplied rather than a stock image.
With its Middle Cenomanian age, Glynde, East Sussex locality, named species identification, and bold Cretaceous ammonite ornament, this fossil is an excellent addition to any collection of British fossils, Upper Cretaceous ammonites, chalk fossils, marine cephalopods, and authentic prehistoric natural history specimens.
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