Description
Genuine Liparoceras cheltiense Ammonite Fossil from Lyme Regis, Dorset
A genuine Liparoceras cheltiense ammonite fossil from Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK, collected from the famous Charmouth Mudstone Formation of the Lower Jurassic. This classic British fossil dates to the Pliensbachian Stage, approximately 190 million years old, when the Jurassic Coast was covered by warm, shallow to moderately deep marine seas rich in ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, marine reptiles, and other ancient sea life.
This fossil is a carefully chosen specimen, with the photograph showing the actual fossil you will receive. It includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, making it a well-presented and trustworthy addition to a fossil collection, educational display, natural history cabinet, or geology-themed gift.
Fossil Type and Species Information
Liparoceras cheltiense is a distinctive Lower Jurassic ammonite species known for its robust shell form and strong ornamentation. Ammonites were extinct marine cephalopods related to modern squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus. Their coiled, chambered shells allowed them to regulate buoyancy as they moved through ancient seas, while the animal itself lived in the final body chamber.
Liparoceras belongs to the family Liparoceratidae, within the superfamily Eoderoceratoidea and the order Ammonitida. Members of this group are especially recognisable for their inflated whorls, strong ribbing, and tuberculate shell features. These raised nodes and ribs gave the shell a bold sculptural appearance and may have contributed to shell strength and defence.
The species name cheltiense reflects the importance of the Cotswold and southwest British Lower Jurassic successions in ammonite study. The genus Liparoceras was established by the palaeontologist Alpheus Hyatt, whose work helped organise and describe many important ammonite groups.
Geology of the Charmouth Mudstone Formation
The Charmouth Mudstone Formation is one of the most famous fossil-bearing rock units on the Jurassic Coast. It consists mainly of marine mudstones, shales, silty beds, and occasional limestone layers deposited during the Early Jurassic. These sediments accumulated on an ancient seabed where fine mud slowly settled through the water column, preserving the remains of marine organisms in exceptional detail.
The formation is internationally recognised for its fossil content, including ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, crinoids, fish remains, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and other marine fossils. Ammonites from this formation are particularly important because they are used as index fossils, helping geologists date and correlate Jurassic rock layers with great precision.
Lower Jurassic Pliensbachian Age
This specimen comes from the Pliensbachian Stage of the Lower Jurassic, a time when ammonites were rapidly evolving and diversifying. The Pliensbachian seas supported rich marine ecosystems, with ammonites occupying an important role as active swimming predators or scavengers.
The Jurassic Coast around Lyme Regis is one of Britain’s most famous geological regions because its cliffs and foreshore exposures reveal a near-continuous record of Early Jurassic marine life. Fossils from this area have been collected, studied, and admired for centuries, making specimens from Lyme Regis especially desirable to collectors.
Lyme Regis Jurassic Coast Locality
Lyme Regis, in Dorset, is one of the most historic fossil localities in the world. The area is strongly associated with early palaeontology and has produced many scientifically important fossils. The coastal cliffs and beach exposures continue to reveal ammonites and other Jurassic fossils from the Charmouth Mudstone Formation.
A Liparoceras cheltiense from Lyme Regis offers excellent locality appeal, combining a named ammonite species with a world-famous fossil location. Its provenance makes it suitable for collectors of British fossils, Jurassic Coast specimens, ammonites, and scientifically labelled natural history pieces.
Morphology and Display Features
Liparoceras cheltiense is admired for its rounded, robust whorl profile and strong ornamental features. Depending on preservation, specimens may display curved ribs, raised tubercles, whorl structure, and the characteristic coiled ammonite form. These features make the fossil visually appealing while also showing the natural architecture of an extinct Jurassic cephalopod shell.
This ammonite is ideal for display in a fossil cabinet, study, classroom, museum-style collection, or natural history display. Its combination of species identification, geological formation, age, and classic Dorset locality gives it strong collector value.
Authenticity and Specimen Details
This is a genuine Liparoceras cheltiense ammonite fossil from the Charmouth Mudstone Formation, Lower Jurassic, Pliensbachian, collected from Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK. It includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card.
Full sizing can be seen in the photo. The fossil shown is the actual carefully chosen specimen you will receive, making this a well-documented and attractive example of British Jurassic marine life.
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