Description
Genuine Oxycerites cf. limosus Ammonite Fossil – Middle Jurassic, France
This genuine fossil ammonite is identified as Oxycerites cf. limosus, a finely formed Jurassic ammonite from Maltot, Calvados, Normandy, France. Dating to the Middle Jurassic, Upper Bajocian, this specimen represents a marine cephalopod that lived approximately 168–166 million years ago, during a time when much of northern France was covered by warm, shallow epicontinental seas.
The “cf.” in the identification means “compares with”, indicating that the specimen shows strong similarities to Oxycerites limosus, while allowing for natural variation, preservation differences, or the limits of fossil identification from a single specimen. This is common and appropriate in palaeontology, especially with ammonites where shell features can vary according to age, growth stage, preservation, or local population.
Fossil Type and Ammonite Features
Ammonites were extinct marine molluscs related to modern squids, cuttlefish, and nautiluses. They possessed coiled, chambered shells and were highly successful throughout the Mesozoic Era, making them some of the most important fossils for dating Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks.
Oxycerites is a classic Jurassic ammonite genus recognised for its elegant, generally compressed shell form. Specimens can show a smooth to finely ornamented whorl profile, with a streamlined, involute coiling pattern where later whorls partly cover earlier ones. The shell form is typically neat and balanced, giving Oxycerites ammonites a refined appearance that makes them especially attractive to fossil collectors.
As an ammonite, this fossil would originally have housed a soft-bodied cephalopod. The animal lived in the final chamber of the shell, while the earlier chambers helped control buoyancy in the Jurassic sea. The preserved fossil now records the hard shell structure, capturing a direct link to ancient marine life from the Middle Jurassic period.
Geology, Age and Location
This fossil comes from Maltot in Calvados, Normandy, a region of northern France well known for Jurassic marine deposits and historic fossil localities. The specimen is from the Upper Bajocian, part of the Middle Jurassic, a geological interval famous for diverse ammonite faunas.
During the Bajocian, the area that is now Normandy lay beneath a shallow marine environment connected to the wider Jurassic seas of western Europe. These seas supported a rich ecosystem of ammonites, bivalves, brachiopods, belemnites, echinoids, marine reptiles, and other marine organisms. Sediments accumulating on the sea floor gradually buried shells and skeletal remains, allowing some to fossilise over millions of years.
Ammonites such as Oxycerites are particularly valued by geologists because they evolved quickly and are often useful as index fossils. Their presence can help correlate rock layers across different regions, making them scientifically important as well as visually appealing.
Scientific Classification and Collecting Interest
Oxycerites belongs within the ammonoid cephalopods, an extinct group of marine animals within the order Ammonitida. The genus is associated with Jurassic ammonite faunas and is often linked with the family Oppeliidae, a group known for compressed, often finely shaped shells. These ammonites are appreciated for their clean morphology, attractive coiling, and importance in Middle Jurassic stratigraphy.
The species comparison limosus adds further interest, as named ammonite material from precise Jurassic stages is especially desirable to collectors. A fossil labelled with genus, comparative species, age, and locality offers much more scientific and display value than an unidentified ammonite. The Maltot, Calvados provenance also adds a strong regional collecting appeal, connecting the fossil to one of France’s classic Jurassic areas.
Authenticity and Display
This is a genuine fossil specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. The fossil has been carefully chosen as a collectable piece, and the photograph shows the actual specimen you will receive. Full sizing can be seen in the photo.
This Oxycerites cf. limosus ammonite is ideal for fossil collectors, Jurassic fossil enthusiasts, natural history displays, educational collections, or anyone interested in ancient marine life. Its combination of named identification, Middle Jurassic age, French locality, and certificate of authenticity makes it a desirable addition to any fossil collection.
Genuine Fossil Specimen
All of our fossils are genuine specimens and are supplied with a Certificate of Authenticity. This Upper Bajocian ammonite from Normandy offers an attractive and scientifically interesting example of Jurassic marine life, preserved from an ancient sea that existed more than 160 million years ago.
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