Micromphalites micromphalus Ammonite Fossil Jurassic France Genuine COA Card – Lower Bathonian Collector Display Specimen

Description

Micromphalites micromphalus Ammonite Fossil from France

This is a genuine Micromphalites micromphalus ammonite fossil from the Middle Jurassic, Lower Bathonian stage, collected from France. This carefully chosen fossil is a desirable European Jurassic marine cephalopod specimen, selected for its natural character, scientific interest, and display appeal. It is supplied with a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, making it a trusted addition to an ammonite collection, fossil cabinet, natural history display, educational geology collection, or prehistoric gift selection.

The photograph shows the actual fossil specimen you will receive. Full sizing and scale can be seen in the photo.

Geological Age and Location

This ammonite dates to the Lower Bathonian, part of the Middle Jurassic Period, approximately 168 to 166 million years old. The Bathonian was an important interval in Jurassic marine history, when ammonites were highly diverse and widespread across the European seas. Their rapid evolution and distinctive shell forms make Bathonian ammonites especially useful for dating and correlating rock layers.

France is internationally known for its rich Jurassic fossil deposits, including limestones, marls, clays, and other marine sedimentary rocks formed in ancient seas. During the Middle Jurassic, large parts of France were covered by shallow to moderately deep marine environments connected to the ancient Tethys Ocean and neighbouring European seaways. These warm seas supported a varied ecosystem of ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, crinoids, echinoids, fish, and marine reptiles.

Fossil Type and Species

This specimen is identified as Micromphalites micromphalus, an extinct ammonite species from the Lower Bathonian. Ammonites were marine molluscs related to modern squid, cuttlefish, octopus, and nautilus. Unlike most living cephalopods, ammonites had an external coiled shell divided into internal chambers.

The living animal occupied the final outer body chamber, while earlier chambers helped regulate buoyancy. This allowed the ammonite to move through the water column with control and stability. The internal walls, called septa, formed complex suture patterns where they met the outer shell. These shell features are important in ammonite identification and make ammonites one of the most scientifically useful fossil groups of the Jurassic.

Morphology and Notable Features

Micromphalites ammonites are appreciated by collectors for their classic Jurassic coiled form and attractive shell proportions. The name reflects the small central umbilical area often associated with the group, giving the shell a compact and neatly balanced appearance. Depending on preservation, specimens may show visible whorls, natural ribbing, shell texture, whorl curvature, and mineralised surface detail.

The coiled shell records the growth of the animal through life, with each new whorl representing a later stage in development. Ornamentation such as ribs, growth lines, and whorl shape can help distinguish ammonite groups and gives each specimen its own natural character. The balanced spiral form makes Micromphalites micromphalus an appealing fossil for both display and study.

As a genuine fossil, this specimen may show natural matrix, fossil shell detail, mineralisation, surface texture, colour variation, small chips, weathering, or areas of wear caused by fossilisation and geological history. These features are normal for authentic fossil specimens and add to the individuality of the piece. The photo shows the exact fossil being offered, allowing the buyer to view the preservation, shape, condition, size, and display quality before purchase.

Middle Jurassic Marine Environment

This Micromphalites micromphalus ammonite lived in the warm seas that covered parts of France during the Lower Bathonian. These marine environments were rich in life, from swimming cephalopods and fish to seabed-dwelling shellfish, crinoids, and echinoids. Ammonites were active swimming or drifting animals, likely feeding on small prey in the water column using tentacles.

After death, the ammonite shell settled onto the seabed, where it could become buried by sediment. Over millions of years, mineralisation, compaction, and geological change transformed the shell and surrounding sediment into a fossil. Specimens from this period offer a direct link to a vanished Jurassic marine world, when dinosaurs lived on land and ammonites thrived in the oceans.

Authenticity and Collectability

This Micromphalites micromphalus ammonite fossil is a genuine specimen from France, dating to the Lower Bathonian of the Middle Jurassic, and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. It is suitable for collectors of French fossils, Jurassic ammonites, Middle Jurassic marine fossils, natural history specimens, educational geology pieces, and display fossils.

The fossil shown in the photo is the actual specimen you will receive.