Description
GENUINE HYPOMYLITES CURVATUS ARAUSIONENSIS AMMONITE FOSSIL
This listing is for a genuine Hypomylites curvatus arausionensis ammonite fossil from the Middle Cenomanian Chalk Basement Bed of Warminster, Wiltshire, UK. This is a carefully chosen fossil specimen, with the listing photo showing the actual fossil you will receive. It is an excellent piece for collectors of British fossils, Cretaceous ammonites, Chalk Group fossils, Warminster fossils, marine fossils, natural history specimens, and classic UK palaeontology.
This fossil is supplied with a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, confirming that it is a genuine natural fossil specimen. Full sizing can be seen in the photo.
SPECIES AND FOSSIL TYPE
Hypomylites curvatus arausionensis is an ammonite, a member of the extinct ammonoid cephalopods that lived in ancient marine environments during the Cretaceous Period. Ammonites were related to modern squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus, and they lived within chambered shells that helped regulate buoyancy in the water. The animal occupied the final body chamber, while the earlier chambers acted as a natural floatation system.
This fossil represents a named ammonite from the Cenomanian Stage of the Late Cretaceous. The subspecies arausionensis was originally named by Hébert and Munier-Chalmas in 1875 and was later treated within the Hyphoplites curvatus group by later ammonite specialists. This makes the specimen especially interesting for collectors who appreciate fossils with a recognised scientific history as well as visual appeal.
MIDDLE CENOMANIAN GEOLOGICAL AGE
This specimen dates from the Middle Cenomanian, an important interval within the Late Cretaceous Period. During the Cenomanian, global sea levels were high and much of southern Britain was covered by warm, shallow marine waters. These seas supported diverse ecosystems including ammonites, bivalves, echinoids, sponges, fish, marine reptiles, and many microscopic planktonic organisms.
Ammonites are particularly valuable in Cenomanian rocks because they evolved rapidly and can help geologists recognise and correlate different marine beds. A named ammonite from this stage is therefore not only a collectable fossil, but also an excellent example of a fossil group widely used in biostratigraphy and the study of ancient Cretaceous seas.
CHALK BASEMENT BED AND WARMINSTER GEOLOGY
This fossil comes from the Chalk Basement Bed at Warminster, Wiltshire. The Warminster area is well known for fossiliferous deposits at the transition between the Upper Greensand and the overlying Chalk succession. These basal Cenomanian and chalk-related beds are often sandy, glauconitic, condensed, and rich in marine fossils, reflecting a period of changing sea levels and marine sedimentation.
The Chalk Basement Bed represents the beginning of widespread chalk deposition in this region. It formed in a shallow marine shelf environment where phosphatic material, glauconitic sand, carbonate sediment, and fossil remains could become concentrated. Such condensed beds are especially interesting to collectors and geologists because they may preserve a rich assemblage of fossils from a relatively thin layer of rock.
MORPHOLOGY AND COLLECTABLE FEATURES
Hypomylites curvatus arausionensis is valued as a named Cretaceous ammonite with a distinctive shell form. The curvatus group is associated with curved ammonite forms and ribbed ornamentation, while arausionensis represents a recognised variant within this wider ammonite complex. Depending on preservation, specimens may show ribbing, whorl curvature, shell ornament, growth lines, or natural surface texture.
These features are important in ammonite identification and make the fossil appealing as both a display piece and a study specimen. Ammonite shells were built with internal chambers divided by septa, while the external shell could carry ribs and other ornament that strengthened the shell and recorded the animal’s growth. Even when preserved as partial examples, named ammonites from the Cenomanian remain highly collectable because they link attractive natural form with real geological significance.
CRETACEOUS MARINE ENVIRONMENT
When this ammonite was alive, Warminster and the surrounding Wiltshire area lay beneath a warm Cretaceous sea. The seabed was influenced by sand, carbonate mud, shell debris, and slow marine sedimentation, while the water column supported ammonites and other swimming marine animals. Planktonic organisms contributed calcium carbonate to the accumulating sediments, helping to form the chalky deposits that became such an important feature of southern England’s geology.
Hypomylites curvatus arausionensis would have lived as part of this marine ecosystem, moving through the water as an active cephalopod. Its chambered shell provided buoyancy control, while its soft body extended from the final chamber for feeding and movement. Fossils from this environment help illustrate the diversity of life in the Late Cretaceous seas and the complex geological history preserved in the Warminster district.
AUTHENTICITY AND DISPLAY
This Hypomylites curvatus arausionensis ammonite fossil is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. The listing photo shows the actual fossil you will receive, so you can buy with confidence knowing the specimen pictured is the one supplied.
This fossil would make an excellent addition to a fossil cabinet, geology collection, natural history display, educational set, or specialist ammonite collection. It is also a thoughtful gift for fossil collectors, palaeontology enthusiasts, students, teachers, or anyone interested in British fossils, Wiltshire geology, Cretaceous ammonites, and prehistoric marine life.
PRODUCT DETAILS
Fossil: Ammonite
Species: Hypomylites curvatus arausionensis
Age: Middle Cenomanian, Late Cretaceous
Formation: Chalk Basement Bed
Location: Warminster, Wiltshire, UK
Specimen: Genuine fossil ammonite
Certificate: Includes Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card
Sizing: Please see photo for full sizing
Photo: Shows the actual specimen you will receive
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