Ichthyosaur Fossil Reptile Bone Jurassic Coast Charmouth Lower Lias Dorset UK Genuine Specimen with Certificate of Authenticity

Description

Overview – Genuine Ichthyosaur Fossil Bone from the Jurassic Coast

This listing is for a 100% genuine Ichthyosaur Fossil Reptile Bone, collected from the historic Black Ven Marls, Lower Lias, on the world-famous Stonebarrow Cliff, Charmouth, Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK. The Jurassic Coast is one of the most important fossil-bearing regions on Earth, producing exceptional marine reptile remains from the Early Jurassic seas. The photograph shows the exact specimen you will receive, carefully chosen for its preservation, identifiable structure, and display quality. Each purchase includes a Certificate of Authenticity, and the images feature a 1 cm scale cube for accurate sizing reference.

The Ichthyosaur – Marine Reptile of the Early Jurassic

Ichthyosaurs were swift, dolphin-shaped marine reptiles belonging to the order Ichthyosauria, and they flourished in the Early Jurassic seas around 200 million years ago. Unlike dinosaurs, ichthyosaurs were fully aquatic predators, adapted to life in open oceans with large eyes for hunting in deep or murky waters, streamlined bodies for rapid swimming, and powerful tails for propulsion. They fed on fish, cephalopods, and other marine animals, making them apex predators of their time.

This fossil bone fragment offers a direct physical link to these remarkable reptiles, which once inhabited the vast tropical seas covering the area that would become southern Britain.

Geological Context – Black Ven Marls, Lower Lias Formation

The fossil originates from the Lower Lias Group, specifically the Black Ven Marls, a sequence of mudstones and shales dating to the Early Jurassic (Hettangian–Sinemurian). This formation is renowned for preserving marine vertebrate fossils in exceptional detail due to its fine-grained, low-oxygen depositional environment.

Black Ven, located between Charmouth and Lyme Regis, is one of the richest palaeontological localities in Europe. The cliffs and foreshore continuously release new fossils through natural erosion, revealing bones, vertebrae, ribs, and sometimes complete skeletons of ichthyosaurs and other Jurassic marine reptiles.

These mudstone layers were deposited under relatively calm, deeper-water conditions with minimal disturbance, allowing organic remains to be rapidly buried. This rapid burial prevented scavenging and decay, resulting in the excellent preservation seen in many ichthyosaur specimens.

Morphology and Diagnostic Features

Your specimen contains classic structural traits characteristic of Ichthyosaur bone, including:

• Dense, compact bone texture, typical of marine reptile skeletal structure

• Smooth to slightly porous surface patterns, reflecting growth and mineralisation

• Rounded or cylindrical form, depending on whether it is part of a limb, rib, or vertebral element

• Natural Jurassic mineral staining, often in shades of brown, grey, and jet-black from iron and organic compounds within the marls

The overall preservation highlights the robust nature of ichthyosaur skeletal anatomy and provides an excellent example for collectors, educators, and fossil enthusiasts.

Depositional Environment – Jurassic Marine Setting

During the Early Jurassic, the region now known as Dorset was submerged beneath a warm, epicontinental sea. The fine muds of the Black Ven Marls accumulated slowly on the sea floor, trapping and preserving remains of marine organisms. Low-oxygen bottom waters inhibited scavengers and bacteria, allowing bones to remain intact long enough for mineral-rich sediments to begin the fossilisation process.

These conditions produced one of the world’s most celebrated fossil Lagerstätten, where marine reptiles, ammonites, fish, and even soft-bodied organisms have been discovered. The ichthyosaur bone offered here is a testament to this remarkable geological setting.

Collector and Scientific Significance

Ichthyosaur remains from the Jurassic Coast are prized among collectors due to their scientific importance, historical relevance, and the beauty of their preservation. Each fossil bone represents a real piece of early marine reptile evolution, providing clues about anatomy, locomotion, diet, and ecological interactions in the Early Jurassic seas.

Specimens from Stonebarrow Cliff are especially valued for their authenticity and traceable provenance in one of the world’s most iconic fossil localities.

Product Details

• Fossil Type: Ichthyosaur Fossil Reptile Bone

• Geological Formation: Black Ven Marls, Lower Lias Group

• Geological Age: Early Jurassic (Hettangian–Sinemurian)

• Locality: Stonebarrow Cliff, Charmouth, Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK

• Authenticity: 100% genuine fossil with Certificate of Authenticity

• Photograph: Shows the exact specimen you will receive

• Scale cube: 1 cm – please refer to photos for full sizing

This Ichthyosaur fossil bone is a rare and scientifically meaningful specimen from the heart of the Jurassic Coast—ideal for collectors, educators, and lovers of British palaeontology.