Description
Genuine Phylloceras Ammonite Fossil
This carefully selected fossil is a genuine Phylloceras cf. seroini ammonite from Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France. It dates to the Barremian stage of the Lower Cretaceous. The photographs show the actual specimen you will receive, allowing its natural form, preservation, colour, matrix and visible fossil detail to be examined before purchase. Please refer to the photographs for full sizing and scale.
Lower Cretaceous Barremian Geology
The Barremian Age lasted from approximately 129 to 125 million years ago. During this part of the Early Cretaceous, the region that is now southeastern France lay within a complex marine realm along the northern margin of the Tethys Ocean. Mud and carbonate-rich sediment accumulated in offshore basins and on submarine slopes, preserving abundant ammonites and other marine organisms.
The fossil-bearing rocks of Provence record changing water depth, sediment supply, oxygenation and biological communities. Ammonites are especially useful within these successions because their rapidly evolving lineages allow palaeontologists to recognise biozones and correlate strata between separate outcrops. A specimen with a recorded stage and locality therefore carries meaningful scientific context as well as visual appeal.
Phylloceras and Identification
Phylloceras is an extinct ammonite genus within the order Phylloceratida. Members of this group are typically recognised by smoothly rounded, involute shells and complex, leaf-like suture patterns, from which the genus takes its name. Ammonites were marine cephalopods related to living squid, octopus and nautilus. Their coiled shells were internally divided into chambers. The animal occupied the final body chamber, while sealed earlier chambers helped regulate buoyancy.
The abbreviation cf. means that this specimen compares closely with Phylloceras seroini while allowing appropriate caution at species level. This is a standard scientific convention where diagnostic features may be incomplete, obscured by matrix or affected by preservation. It retains useful identification without overstating the certainty available from one fossil.
Preservation varies naturally. A specimen may retain original shell material, mineral replacement, an external impression or an internal mould formed when sediment entered the shell. Natural matrix, worn surfaces, fractures and irregular edges reflect burial, mineralisation, compaction and later exposure. They are authentic parts of the specimen’s geological history rather than manufactured defects.
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is internationally celebrated for Lower Cretaceous ammonites. Mountain uplift and erosion have exposed extensive marine successions that were originally deposited in the Vocontian Basin. Fossils from these rocks have supported detailed studies of Cretaceous stratigraphy and the evolution of Tethyan ammonite faunas.
A Phylloceras specimen from this region represents an animal that lived in the open waters of an ancient sea long before the uplift of the Alps. Its shell settled to the seabed, was buried and fossilised, and later became part of rock layers raised high above sea level through Alpine tectonic activity.
Actual Specimen for Collection or Display
You will receive the exact fossil shown in the photographs. Its ammonite identification, Barremian age and classic Provençal locality make it suitable for an established fossil collection, geological study, educational display, natural-history cabinet or a distinctive gift for a palaeontology enthusiast. The photographs are the definitive guide to this individual specimen’s condition and appearance.
Certificate of Authenticity
The fossil includes a generic Certificate of Authenticity card carrying a lifetime guarantee of authenticity. Handle it carefully and avoid soaking, harsh cleaning products, excessive humidity and sudden temperature changes. Display it on a stable support so natural edges, matrix and any exposed shell detail remain protected.
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