Mantelliceras Saxbii Ammonite Fossil Cretaceous Sussex UK COA Southerham Grey Pit Lewes Lower Cenomanian

Description

Genuine Mantelliceras saxbii Ammonite Fossil from Southerham Grey Pit, Lewes

This is a genuine Mantelliceras saxbii ammonite fossil from Southerham Grey Pit, Lewes, East Sussex, UK, dating to the Lower Cenomanian Stage of the Upper Cretaceous. This specimen represents a classic British chalk ammonite from an important early Upper Cretaceous marine deposit, formed when warm seas covered much of southern England around 100 million years ago. Fossils from the Lewes and East Sussex chalk successions are highly collectable because they combine strong British locality interest with an internationally recognised geological setting.

This fossil is a carefully chosen specimen, with the photograph showing the actual piece you will receive. Full sizing can be seen in the photo. The fossil also includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, making it suitable for fossil collectors, chalk fossil enthusiasts, educational collections, geology teaching, natural history cabinets, and collectors of genuine British Cretaceous ammonites.

Fossil Type and Species

Mantelliceras saxbii 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 the ammonite to move through the water column of the ancient sea.

The genus Mantelliceras belongs to the order Ammonitida and the family Acanthoceratidae, a group of Cretaceous ammonites known for strong ribbing, distinctive shell ornament, and in many species, raised tubercles or nodes. These features are important for scientific identification and give Mantelliceras fossils their bold, highly recognisable appearance.

Lower Cenomanian Upper Cretaceous Age

This ammonite dates to the Lower Cenomanian, the earliest part of the Cenomanian Stage within the Upper Cretaceous Period. The Cenomanian was a time of high global sea levels, warm climates, and widespread marine environments across Europe. During this interval, southern Britain lay beneath a shallow epicontinental sea connected to larger Cretaceous marine basins.

Ammonites such as Mantelliceras are particularly important in Cretaceous geology because they evolved rapidly and were widely distributed. Their distinctive shell forms allow geologists to use them as guide fossils for dating and correlating marine rock layers. Mantelliceras is especially associated with Lower Cenomanian faunas, making this fossil a scientifically interesting example of early Upper Cretaceous ammonite life.

Southerham Grey Pit, Lewes Geological Setting

Southerham Grey Pit near Lewes in East Sussex is a well-known chalk locality associated with the early Upper Cretaceous succession of southern England. The deposits in this area record the development of the chalk sea, where carbonate-rich sediment accumulated on the sea floor from microscopic planktonic remains, especially coccoliths. In the lower chalk and chalk marl intervals, clay-rich and calcareous sediments preserved a range of marine fossils, including ammonites, bivalves, echinoids, brachiopods, sponges, fish remains, and other sea life.

Fossils from Southerham Grey Pit are valued because they come from a defined and respected British geological locality. The area around Lewes is closely connected with classic Sussex chalk geology, and ammonites from these deposits provide a direct link to the ancient marine ecosystems that existed long before the modern South Downs landscape formed.

Morphology and Display Features

Mantelliceras saxbii has the classic coiled ammonite form that makes Cretaceous ammonites so appealing to collectors. The shell is planispiral, forming a flat spiral with whorls that grew outward as the animal matured. Depending on preservation, the fossil may show strong ribs, whorl shape, shell ornament, tuberculation, chamber detail, natural matrix, mineral staining, chalky texture, or surface wear from fossilisation.

The ribbed ornament of Mantelliceras gives the fossil a distinctive sculptural quality. These ribs strengthened the shell and are also important identification features used by palaeontologists when comparing ammonite groups. Natural imperfections, matrix attachment, colour variation, compression, and worn high points are part of the specimen’s authentic geological history and show that it has been naturally preserved over millions of years.

Certificate of Authenticity Included

This Mantelliceras saxbii ammonite fossil is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. The fossil has been selected as an individual piece, and the photograph shows the exact specimen supplied rather than a stock image.

With its Lower Cenomanian age, Southerham Grey Pit, Lewes, East Sussex locality, and named Mantelliceras saxbii identification, this fossil is a desirable addition to any collection of British fossils, Cretaceous ammonites, chalk fossils, marine cephalopods, or authentic natural history specimens.