Description
Genuine Proplanulites Ammonite Fossil
This genuine Proplanulites ammonite fossil comes from the Callovian Stage of the Middle Jurassic at Manor Farm Pit, Wiltshire, UK. It is a carefully chosen British marine fossil specimen representing an extinct ammonite from the ancient seas that once covered southern England. Ammonites were shelled cephalopods related to modern squid, octopus and nautilus, and they are among the most important fossils for dating and understanding 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 selected specimen you will receive, making it ideal for collectors who value authentic, individually photographed fossils with clear locality and geological age information.
Middle Jurassic Callovian Geology
The Callovian is a stage of the Middle Jurassic Period, dating to approximately 166.1 to 163.5 million years ago. During this time, much of what is now Wiltshire lay beneath warm, shallow to moderately deep marine waters connected to the wider Jurassic seas of Europe. These seas supported a rich marine ecosystem that included ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, echinoids, crustaceans, fish and marine reptiles.
Manor Farm Pit in Wiltshire is associated with fossil-bearing Middle Jurassic deposits and is a desirable locality for collectors of British ammonites. The sediments laid down in this region record changing marine conditions, with shell material, carbonate-rich mud and sandy or clay-rich layers accumulating on the sea floor. Over millions of years, these sediments hardened and preserved the remains of marine animals such as Proplanulites.
Proplanulites Ammonite Detail
Proplanulites is a Jurassic ammonite genus associated with the Callovian and belongs to the order Ammonitida. It is generally placed among the perisphinctid-style ammonites, a broad and important Jurassic group known for coiled shells, ribbed ornament and strong usefulness in biostratigraphy. These ammonites are valued by collectors because their shell forms help represent the diversity of Middle Jurassic cephalopods.
The genus Proplanulites typically displays a classic ammonite appearance, with an open spiral shell and visible whorls. Many examples show ribbing across the shell flanks, which may vary in strength depending on growth stage and preservation. This style of ornament gives the fossil a natural, detailed appearance and makes it highly recognisable as a true Jurassic ammonite.
Ammonite Morphology and Fossil Features
Proplanulites ammonites had planispirally coiled, chambered shells. The living animal occupied the final outer body chamber, while the earlier chambers helped regulate buoyancy in the water column. These chambers allowed the ammonite to control its position in the sea, while the animal moved using jet propulsion in a similar broad manner to living cephalopods.
Depending on preservation, this fossil may show the natural whorl shape, ribbed ornament, inner coils, outer whorl, chamber detail, internal mould features or surrounding Jurassic matrix. The ribs and whorl proportions are important characteristics used in ammonite identification, while the overall spiral form gives the specimen strong display appeal.
Ammonites are especially important fossils because they evolved rapidly and were widely distributed in ancient seas. This makes them valuable index fossils for comparing and dating Jurassic rocks. A Callovian ammonite from a known Wiltshire locality therefore has both decorative and geological interest.
Ancient Jurassic Marine Environment
This Proplanulites ammonite lived in a warm Middle Jurassic sea rich in marine life. It would have been an active swimming cephalopod, feeding as a predator or scavenger on smaller marine organisms. It shared its environment with other ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, echinoids and fish, forming part of a complex marine food web.
After death, the ammonite shell settled onto the sea floor and was gradually buried by sediment. Over time, mineral-rich water, pressure and geological processes transformed the shell and surrounding sediment into stone. The fossil now preserves a direct record of this ancient marine environment, capturing a piece of life from the Middle Jurassic seas of Britain.
Manor Farm Pit, Wiltshire Locality
Manor Farm Pit is a notable inland British fossil locality, offering specimens from Jurassic marine strata away from the more frequently collected coastal sites. Fossils from Wiltshire are valued by collectors for their connection to the classic Jurassic geology of southern England and for the variety of ammonites and other marine invertebrates preserved in the region.
The locality information adds important provenance to this specimen. For collectors, a fossil with a named site, stage and taxonomic identification is more meaningful than an unlocalised example, as it links the specimen to a precise part of Earth’s geological history.
Collectable British Jurassic Ammonite
This Proplanulites ammonite fossil is an excellent addition to any collection of British fossils, Jurassic fossils, Wiltshire fossils, Callovian ammonites, marine invertebrates or natural history specimens. Its Middle Jurassic age, Manor Farm Pit provenance and classic ammonite form make it suitable for display, study or educational use.
Supplied with a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, this genuine Proplanulites ammonite from Manor Farm Pit, Wiltshire, UK, is a collectable example of British Middle Jurassic marine life from the Callovian seas of southern England.
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