Ichthyosaur Fossil Paddle Digit Bone Jurassic Marine Reptile Lyme Regis Dorset Black Ven Marls Lower Lias Charmouth Genuine COA Included

Description

Genuine Ichthyosaur Paddle Digit Fossil from the Jurassic Coast

Offered here is an authentic Ichthyosaur fossil paddle digit bone, a rare and highly collectible marine reptile element from the world-famous Black Ven Marls, Lower Lias, along the UNESCO-protected Jurassic Coast at Black Ven, Charmouth, Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK.

This specimen represents part of the limb structure of an ichthyosaur flipper — an extraordinary fossil relic from one of the ocean’s most successful prehistoric predators. The fossil shown in the photographs is the exact piece you will receive, carefully selected for quality, preservation, and display appeal.

This fossil is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity with a lifetime guarantee generic card, ensuring confidence and provenance for collectors. Full sizing details can be seen clearly in the accompanying images.

Geological Setting – Black Ven Marls, Lower Lias (Early Jurassic)

This fossil digit originates from the renowned Black Ven Marls, part of the Lower Jurassic Lower Lias Group, deposited approximately 195–200 million years ago.

During the Early Jurassic, the Dorset coastline lay beneath a warm shallow sea rich in ammonites, belemnites, fish, and large marine reptiles. Fine muds and marls settled on the sea floor, creating the fossil-bearing layers that are now exposed in the dramatic cliffs around Charmouth and Lyme Regis.

Black Ven is internationally celebrated for producing some of Britain’s finest marine reptile fossils, making any ichthyosaur bone from this locality especially desirable.

Fossil Type – Ichthyosaur Marine Reptile Paddle Digit

Ichthyosaurs were fast-swimming marine reptiles, shaped much like modern dolphins but belonging to an entirely separate reptilian lineage. Their limbs evolved into powerful paddle-like flippers, containing multiple small bones forming digits, used for steering and stability while swimming.

Scientific classification includes:

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Reptilia
• Order: Ichthyosauria

Paddle digit bones are particularly sought-after because they provide direct evidence of the unique limb adaptation that allowed ichthyosaurs to thrive in Jurassic oceans.

Morphology and Notable Features

This fossil preserves one of the digit elements that formed the flipper structure. Typical traits of ichthyosaur paddle bones include:

• Compact, robust shape adapted for marine propulsion
• Smooth, naturally worn fossil surface from Jurassic preservation
• Dense bone structure with strong three-dimensional form
• A distinctive anatomical piece compared with more common vertebrae

Such fossils are excellent for both scientific interest and striking display, representing a vital part of the ichthyosaur’s swimming apparatus.

Depositional Environment – Jurassic Seabed Preservation

The Black Ven Marls were deposited in a quiet offshore marine environment. Low oxygen conditions on the seabed reduced decay and scavenging, allowing skeletal remains to be buried quickly in soft mud.

Over millions of years, mineral replacement transformed the original bone into stone, preserving this paddle digit as a lasting record of Jurassic marine life and evolution.

Authenticity, Display, and Collectability

This ichthyosaur paddle digit fossil is ideal for collectors of:

• Jurassic marine reptile fossils
• Lyme Regis and Charmouth discoveries
• Rare flipper and limb elements
• UK natural history specimens

You will receive:

• Genuine Ichthyosaur paddle digit fossil
• Exact specimen photographed
• Certificate of Authenticity with lifetime guarantee
• A remarkable piece of Jurassic Coast marine history

A Rare Marine Reptile Fossil from Dorset’s Ancient Seas

An ichthyosaur paddle digit from Black Ven is a true window into Early Jurassic oceans, preserved from a world of ancient marine predators. A superb addition to any fossil collection, educational display, or as a unique gift from the legendary Jurassic Coast.