Plesiosaur Paddle Fossil Femur Coracoid with Digits Lyme Regis Dorset Jurassic – Marine Reptile Bone Black Ven Marls Specimen with COA

Description

Plesiosaur Paddle Fossil with Femur or Coracoid and Paddle Digits from Lyme Regis

This genuine Plesiosaur paddle fossil consisting of a femur or coracoid with associated paddle digits originates from the Black Ven Marls of the Lower Lias Formation at Black Ven, Lyme Regis, Dorset, United Kingdom. The specimen dates to the Early Jurassic Period, approximately 200–190 million years ago, when much of southern Britain was submerged beneath a shallow epicontinental sea.

The cliffs of Lyme Regis are part of the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the most famous fossil locations in the world. Marine reptiles such as ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs were first discovered here in the early 19th century, helping to establish the foundations of vertebrate palaeontology.

This fossil represents part of the limb anatomy used by plesiosaurs for propulsion through the Jurassic seas. The specimen preserves a large limb bone interpreted as either a femur or coracoid associated with paddle digits, demonstrating the distinctive skeletal structure that allowed these reptiles to swim with powerful underwater “flight.”

The fossil shown in the photographs is the exact specimen you will receive, carefully selected for its scientific interest and preservation. It includes a fully hand-signed Premium Certificate of Authenticity, confirming that the fossil is genuine.

Please refer to the photographs for full specimen sizing and scale.

About Plesiosaurs – Marine Reptiles of the Jurassic Seas

Plesiosaurs were large marine reptiles that thrived throughout the Mesozoic Era, particularly during the Jurassic Period. They are among the most recognisable prehistoric marine animals, known for their distinctive body plan and powerful swimming abilities.

Taxonomic classification:

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Reptilia
• Order: Plesiosauria

Unlike ichthyosaurs, which swam with fish-like tails, plesiosaurs propelled themselves using four powerful flippers in a motion often compared to underwater flying. This locomotion method allowed them to manoeuvre efficiently through the marine environment.

Plesiosaurs are broadly divided into two main groups:

• Plesiosauroids, which had long necks and small heads
• Pliosauroids, which possessed shorter necks and large, powerful skulls

Both groups inhabited the Jurassic seas of what is now the Dorset coastline.

Geological Context – The Black Ven Marls of the Lower Lias

This fossil originates from the Black Ven Marls, part of the Lower Lias Group, a sequence of Early Jurassic marine sediments exposed along the Dorset coast between Lyme Regis and Charmouth.

These rocks were deposited during the Hettangian and Sinemurian stages of the Early Jurassic. At that time, southern Britain lay beneath a warm, shallow marine basin populated by a diverse range of marine organisms.

The Black Ven Marls consist primarily of marl, shale, and limestone, deposited on the seafloor in relatively calm conditions. Periodic low oxygen levels in the sediment helped preserve skeletal remains before scavengers or decomposition could destroy them.

Fossils commonly found within these deposits include:

• Marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs
• Ammonites and belemnites
• Fossil fish
• Bivalves and other marine invertebrates

The exceptional preservation conditions of these sediments make the Lyme Regis cliffs one of the richest marine reptile fossil sites in the world.

Structure of the Plesiosaur Paddle

Plesiosaur limbs evolved into highly specialised hydrofoil-like flippers, adapted for efficient underwater propulsion. The paddle was supported by a complex arrangement of bones derived from the forelimb or hindlimb skeleton.

Key elements within the paddle include:

• Humerus or femur, the main limb bone
• Coracoid or scapula elements forming part of the shoulder girdle
• Phalanges, the elongated bones that formed the paddle digits

The phalanges were often numerous and tightly arranged, forming a stiff but flexible paddle surface capable of producing powerful thrust through the water.

Characteristic features of plesiosaur paddle bones include:

• Dense bone structure adapted to aquatic locomotion
• Smooth articular surfaces where bones joined
• Elongated digit bones forming the paddle outline

These flippers allowed plesiosaurs to move through the water with remarkable agility, using synchronous strokes of their four paddles to generate lift and forward motion.

A Genuine Jurassic Marine Reptile Fossil with Premium Certificate

This specimen represents a genuine fossil marine reptile bone from the world-famous Jurassic Coast of Dorset.

Key features of this fossil include:

• Genuine Plesiosaur paddle fossil with femur or coracoid and paddle digits
• Geological formation: Black Ven Marls, Lower Lias
• Age: Early Jurassic Period
• Locality: Black Ven, Lyme Regis, Dorset, United Kingdom
• Marine reptile skeletal material from the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Classic plesiosaur limb anatomy preserved in fossil form
• The exact specimen shown in the photographs
• Includes a fully hand-signed Premium Certificate of Authenticity

Plesiosaurs were among the dominant predators of the Jurassic oceans, and fossils from Lyme Regis have been central to our understanding of these extraordinary reptiles. This specimen preserves part of the limb anatomy that powered these animals through the ancient seas nearly 200 million years ago, making it a remarkable and authentic example of Jurassic marine reptile history.