Description
Genuine Prorasenia quenstedti Ammonite Fossil
This listing is for a genuine Prorasenia quenstedti ammonite fossil from Neuffen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Dating from the Lower Kimmeridgian Stage of the Upper Jurassic, this specimen represents a collectible European Jurassic ammonite from the marine deposits of southern Germany.
Prorasenia quenstedti is an attractive and scientifically interesting ammonite species, valued by collectors for its named identification, Upper Jurassic age, and association with the classic ammonite-bearing rocks of Germany. This fossil is a carefully chosen piece, and the photograph shows the actual specimen you will receive. Full sizing can be seen in the photo.
Geology, Age and German Locality
This ammonite comes from Neuffen, in Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany. This region lies within an area famous for Jurassic sedimentary rocks, particularly those connected with the Swabian Jura, where marine fossils have been studied and collected for generations. The Jurassic deposits of this part of Germany preserve an important record of ancient seas that covered central Europe during the Mesozoic Era.
The fossil is Lower Kimmeridgian in age, placing it within the early part of the Kimmeridgian Stage of the Upper Jurassic, approximately 157 to 155 million years old. The Kimmeridgian was an important interval in ammonite evolution, with many distinctive ammonite lineages developing across the European shelf seas. Ammonites from this stage are especially useful in geology because their rapid evolution allows rock layers to be divided, dated, and correlated with considerable precision.
During the Late Jurassic, the area now known as Baden-Württemberg was covered by warm marine waters connected to wider European seas. Sediments accumulated on the seafloor, preserving ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, echinoids, fish remains, and other marine fossils. Specimens from this region are highly desirable because they combine strong geological provenance with a long history of palaeontological research.
Fossil Type and Species Details
Prorasenia quenstedti was an ammonite, an extinct marine mollusc belonging to the cephalopod group. Ammonites are related to modern squid, cuttlefish, octopus, and nautilus, although ammonites themselves became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous Period. Like other ammonites, Prorasenia possessed a coiled external shell divided internally into chambers. The living animal occupied the final body chamber, while the earlier chambers helped regulate buoyancy as it moved through the Jurassic sea.
The genus Prorasenia is part of the diverse Upper Jurassic ammonite fauna and is associated with the perisphinctid-style ammonites that are important in Kimmeridgian biostratigraphy. These ammonites commonly show planispiral coiling, defined whorl development, and ribbed ornament that can vary with growth stage and preservation. The ribs and whorl form are important identification features and give specimens of this group strong visual appeal.
Scientific classification places Prorasenia within Phylum Mollusca, Class Cephalopoda, Subclass Ammonoidea, Order Ammonitida, Superfamily Perisphinctoidea, and Family Aulacostephanidae. The species name quenstedti honours the long tradition of German Jurassic palaeontology and is linked with the classic ammonite faunas studied from southern Germany and surrounding European regions.
Lower Kimmeridgian Marine Environment
During the Lower Kimmeridgian, southern Germany formed part of a broad marine shelf environment. Warm Jurassic seas covered the landscape, with carbonate-rich sediments, marine muds, shell beds, and harder limestone layers accumulating over time. These conditions supported a rich marine ecosystem filled with swimming, crawling, and bottom-dwelling organisms.
Prorasenia quenstedti would have lived in this ancient marine setting as part of the active cephalopod fauna. Its chambered shell helped control buoyancy, allowing the animal to move through the water column while feeding and avoiding predators. The same seas supported belemnites, bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, echinoids, fish, sharks, and marine reptiles, creating a diverse Late Jurassic ecosystem.
Ammonites are among the most important fossils for understanding Jurassic seas because their shells were widely distributed and their evolutionary changes were relatively rapid. A specimen from Neuffen, Baden-Württemberg offers a direct connection to the Upper Jurassic marine world of central Europe and is especially appealing to collectors who value accurate locality and age information.
Collectible European Jurassic Ammonite
This Prorasenia quenstedti ammonite fossil is an excellent addition to a fossil collection, natural history cabinet, educational display, or geology-themed gift selection. Its Lower Kimmeridgian age, Upper Jurassic origin, German locality, and named species identification make it a desirable specimen for collectors of European ammonites and scientifically labelled fossils.
This fossil is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. The photograph shows the actual fossil you will receive, making this a carefully selected and accurately represented collector’s piece from the Upper Jurassic marine deposits of Neuffen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
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