Fossils for Sale - High-quality BRITISH and WORLDWIDE Fossils. An impressive selection of fossils, including Ammonites, Trilobites, Belemnites, Fossil Fish, Fossil Shark Teeth, Fossilised Insects in Amber, Dinosaurs, and Reptiles. UK Fossils was formed in 1988 and collects and preps our own fossils in the heart of the Jurassic Coast, collecting fossils from Lyme Regis, Charmouth and Somerset. Our passion for fossils is reflected in our carefully curated collection, which includes some of the rarest and most unique specimens available.

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Nucleolites scutatus Fossil Echinoid Jurassic Osmington Oolite Dorset UK Sea Urchin Specimen with Certificate of Authenticity

Name: Nucleolites scutatus Fossil Echinoid Jurassic Osmington Oolite Dorset UK Sea Urchin Specimen with Certificate of Authenticity
Brand: SilverGeo
SKU: FP9310
Availability: InStock

Original price was: £9.00.Current price is: £6.30.

All of our Fossils are 100% Genuine Specimens & come with a Certificate of Authenticity!

Name: Nucleolites scutatus

Species: Echinoid

Age: Osmington Oolite, Jurassic

Location Found: Pirates Cove, Dorset, United Kingdom

Size (picture scale cube=1cm): 23 x 23 x 14mm (0.91 x 0.91 x 0.55 inches)

Beautiful little echinoids found from the Jurassic Coast, near Weymouth, Dorset, UK.

**The items image shows the ACTUAL specimen you will receive**

**NB: This items picture will change once we update the listing after this specific item has been sold, this action may cause the picture in your purchase history to also change to the new image! We would suggest saving/screenshotting the item image as soon as purchased for your own records of comparison for once the item has been received in the post. We also keep a record of every image we upload**

What is a fossil?

The word Fossil used to be defined as ‘something dug up’. Now-a-days it generally means ‘The remains or trace evidence of prehistoric life’. The study of fossils is called palaeontology; someone who collects and studies them is called a palaeontologists. Fossils can be as tiny as a grain of pollen or a seed for e.g. or as huge as a limb bone from a giant dinosaur. For animal or plant remains to have become ‘fossilised ‘, they must go through a certain process that preserves them for up to millions of years after they have died. Usually it is only the hard parts of plants and animals that survive this long process.

How Fossils Formed

The most common method of how fossils formed is once an animal or plant dies, it falls to the ground, and is covered by sediment. This is often sediments brought from water. In the diagram above, the ammonite died in a river, and sediments over time covered the ammonite (shown in the second diagram). Finally after hundreds of thousands, or millions of years, the land is eroded and the fossil can be seen.

Of the vast amount of prehistoric life that died, it is only a tiny amount that has survived the fossilisation process. The conditions when the majority of life died were just not right at that time, to preserve them. Most fossils are found in sedimentary rocks which were formed from the sediments of rivers, lakes and seas. The majority of the animal and plant fossils we find today, had originally died near these areas, got broken up and deposited on the beds of the rivers, lakes and seas. The sediments covered them and over time some of the layers grew so thick that many of them got crushed. The sediments compacted and over time and turned to rock. The rocks shifted, moved and became exposed to the elements. This process can take up to several hundred million years. Now as the rocks erode or are quarried for example the fossils become exposed and can be collected.

The Best conditions for Fossilisation

1. The quick burial of animal remains in moist sediments. This prevents scavengers from eating and bacteria from decaying them.

2. The quick burial in volcanic ash. Many dinosaur bones in the American west have been found buried in volcanic ash.

3. The presence of hard body or plant parts, teeth, bones, shell and wood for example.

4. Unchanging temperature conditions.

5. Ground water that is heavily mineralised.

6. Sediments that are very fine make a better burial than coarser gravels.

7. Calm conditions, so that remains are not broken up (by wave or currant action for example)

(Actual as seen)

Only 1 left in stock

SKU: FP9310 Category: British Jurassic Echinoids

Description

Genuine Jurassic Nucleolites scutatus Fossil from Dorset, UK

Offered here is an excellent fossil echinoid identified as Nucleolites scutatus, collected from the Osmington Oolite Formation, Jurassic Period, at the well-known coastal locality of Pirates Cove, Dorset, UK. This is a carefully chosen genuine fossil specimen, and the photographs show the exact fossil you will receive. Full sizing details can be clearly seen in the listing images.

This specimen includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, providing long-term reassurance of authenticity and provenance.

Fossil Identification: Nucleolites scutatus

Nucleolites scutatus is an extinct species of irregular echinoid (sea urchin), belonging to the echinoderm group that also includes starfish and crinoids. Unlike modern spiny sea urchins, irregular echinoids often lived partially buried in sediment, moving slowly across or beneath the seafloor.

These fossils are highly valued for their distinctive shape, symmetry, and the beautifully preserved surface detail of their tests (shells). Nucleolites is a classic Jurassic echinoid genus, making it an important representative of ancient marine ecosystems.

Geological Age and the Jurassic Seas of Dorset

This fossil dates to the Jurassic Period, approximately 165–155 million years ago, when Dorset was submerged beneath warm, shallow tropical seas. The region that is now the Jurassic Coast was part of a thriving marine environment filled with echinoids, ammonites, bivalves, corals, and marine reptiles.

The Jurassic is one of the most iconic fossil-producing periods in Britain, and Dorset remains one of the finest locations in the world for collecting and studying Jurassic marine life.

Osmington Oolite Formation and Pirates Cove Locality

The Osmington Oolite is a limestone-rich unit formed in shallow marine conditions where calcium carbonate sediments accumulated as tiny spherical grains called ooids. These oolitic limestones represent clear, warm, high-energy seabeds similar to modern tropical carbonate platforms.

Pirates Cove is a classic Dorset coastal site where these beds are exposed, yielding beautifully preserved echinoids such as Nucleolites scutatus. Fossils from this formation provide a direct snapshot of life on Jurassic seafloors.

Morphology and Notable Features

Nucleolites scutatus fossils are recognised for their rounded to slightly heart-shaped profile and well-defined test structure. The fossil shell often preserves subtle plate patterns and the natural symmetry typical of echinoids.

Notable features may include:

Distinctive irregular echinoid shape
Preserved ambulacral and interambulacral plate patterning
Natural surface texture and form
Strong contrast against limestone matrix

These traits make echinoid fossils especially attractive for collectors, as they combine scientific value with visual elegance.

Depositional Environment and Fossil Preservation

The Osmington Oolite formed in a shallow, warm marine environment with active water movement. After the echinoid died, rapid burial in carbonate sediment protected the test from destruction. Over millions of years, mineralisation preserved the shell as a fossil within the limestone.

Such preservation allows echinoids to retain their natural form and fine anatomical details, making them prized fossils of Jurassic marine life.

Collector, Display, and Educational Value

This Nucleolites scutatus fossil is ideal for:

Jurassic Coast fossil collections
Echinoid and marine invertebrate displays
Educational study of Jurassic seabed life
Natural history cabinets and teaching sets
Unique gifts for fossil and geology enthusiasts

Echinoids are particularly popular because of their symmetry, tactile structure, and clear connection to ancient marine environments.

Certificate of Authenticity Included

This is a genuine fossil specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, ensuring peace of mind and long-term collector confidence.

A Classic Dorset Jurassic Fossil

Nucleolites scutatus from the Osmington Oolite is a timeless fossil from Britain’s world-famous Jurassic Coast. Preserved from a warm sea that existed over 160 million years ago, this specimen offers a remarkable connection to ancient marine life and makes a meaningful addition to any serious fossil collection.

Additional information

Weight	10 g
Era	Jurassic
Origin	United Kingdom

Jurassic Information

The Jurassic Period (201–145 million years ago) was the golden age of dinosaurs, with iconic species like Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Allosaurus dominating the land. It was a time of warm, humid climates, with high sea levels that created vast shallow seas, supporting abundant marine reptiles, ammonites, and early coral reefs. The first birds, such as Archaeopteryx, evolved from small theropod dinosaurs, while early mammals remained small and nocturnal. Lush forests of cycads, conifers, and ferns covered the land, providing food for giant herbivores. The breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea accelerated, shaping Earth's geography and setting the stage for the diverse ecosystems of the Cretaceous.

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