Description
Genuine Ochetoceras basseae Ammonite Fossil
This genuine Ochetoceras basseae ammonite fossil comes from the Upper Jurassic, Upper Kimmeridgian deposits of Gräfenberg, Bavaria, Germany. It is from the Bimammatum Zone, a recognised ammonite biozone that gives this specimen excellent geological and stratigraphic interest. Ammonites were extinct marine cephalopods, related to modern squid, octopus and nautilus, and they are among the most important fossil groups for dating and correlating Jurassic marine rock layers.
This fossil is a genuine specimen and 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 it ideal for collectors who value accurately represented fossils with clear locality, age and zone information.
Upper Jurassic Kimmeridgian Geology
The Kimmeridgian is a stage of the Late Jurassic Period, dating to approximately 157.3 to 152.1 million years ago. This specimen comes from the Upper Kimmeridgian, a time when the region now known as Bavaria formed part of a warm marine environment connected to the ancient European seas and the wider Tethyan realm. These waters supported a diverse marine ecosystem rich in ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, brachiopods, echinoids, gastropods, sponges, corals and fish.
The fossil-bearing deposits around Gräfenberg are associated with Jurassic marine limestones and marls, formed from carbonate-rich sediment laid down on the sea floor. Over millions of years, shells and skeletal remains were buried, compacted and mineralised, preserving a detailed record of ancient marine life. German Jurassic ammonites from Bavaria are highly collectable because of their classic preservation, scientific importance and strong connection to Europe’s famous Mesozoic marine successions.
Bimammatum Zone Stratigraphic Interest
The Bimammatum Zone is an important Upper Kimmeridgian ammonite biozone. Named zones are used by palaeontologists and geologists to identify and compare rock layers of similar age across different localities. Because ammonites evolved rapidly and were widely distributed in ancient seas, they are especially useful as index fossils.
A fossil from a named biozone offers greater geological context than a general age label alone. This makes the specimen particularly desirable for collectors interested in stratigraphy, ammonite zonation and well-documented Jurassic fossils. The Bimammatum Zone places this Ochetoceras basseae within a precise interval of Late Jurassic marine history.
Ochetoceras basseae Species Detail
Ochetoceras is a Late Jurassic ammonite genus known for its elegant, compressed shell form and refined ornament. Ochetoceras basseae is an attractive species within this group, valued for its distinctive ammonite morphology and its association with Upper Jurassic marine deposits. The genus belongs to the order Ammonitida and is generally associated with the family Oppeliidae, a group of ammonites often recognised for their relatively streamlined shells, fine ribbing and complex sutural patterns.
Unlike heavily ornamented ammonites with broad ribs and large tubercles, Ochetoceras often has a more refined appearance. Its compressed whorl shape, narrow shell profile and subtle ornamentation give it a graceful form that appeals to collectors of classic Jurassic ammonites. These features also make it scientifically interesting, as shell shape and ornament are important tools used in ammonite identification.
Ammonite Morphology and Fossil Features
Ochetoceras ammonites typically display a coiled, chambered shell with a moderately involute form, meaning the outer whorls partly cover the inner coils. Depending on preservation, this specimen may show the natural whorl shape, fine ribbing, keel area, shell surface detail or surrounding Jurassic matrix. The delicate style of ornamentation can contrast beautifully with the rock matrix, making these fossils attractive for display.
Like all ammonites, Ochetoceras basseae had a shell divided internally into chambers. The living animal occupied the final body chamber, while the earlier chambers helped regulate buoyancy in the water column. The intricate suture lines, formed where the internal chamber walls met the outer shell, are one of the key diagnostic features of ammonites and played an important role in their scientific classification.
Ancient Jurassic Marine Environment
This ammonite lived in a warm Late Jurassic sea, moving through the water as an active cephalopod. Ochetoceras basseae would have been part of a complex marine food web, likely feeding on small animals or scavenging within the ecosystem. It shared its environment with other ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, brachiopods, echinoids, gastropods and fish.
The Upper Kimmeridgian sea of Bavaria was influenced by changing sea levels, carbonate sedimentation and marine circulation. After death, ammonite shells could settle onto the sea floor, become covered by fine sediment and gradually fossilise within limestone or marl. This process preserved the shell form for over 150 million years, creating the fossil seen today.
Collectable Bavarian Jurassic Ammonite
This Ochetoceras basseae ammonite fossil is an excellent addition to any collection of Jurassic fossils, German fossils, Bavarian ammonites, Kimmeridgian fossils, Oppeliidae ammonites or marine invertebrate specimens. Its Upper Jurassic age, Upper Kimmeridgian horizon, Bimammatum Zone association and Gräfenberg provenance make it a desirable specimen for display, study and natural history collecting.
Supplied with a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, this genuine Ochetoceras basseae ammonite from Gräfenberg, Bavaria, Germany, is a collectable example of a Late Jurassic marine fossil from one of Europe’s classic ammonite-bearing regions.
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