Rare 7″ Fossil Nautilus Cenoceras elegans | Cretaceous Lower Cenomanian Kent UK | Genuine Specimen + COA

Description

This listing features a rare and impressively preserved 7-inch fossil Nautilus, Cenoceras elegans, from the Lower Cenomanian Stage of the Cretaceous Period, found near Lewes, Kent, United Kingdom. The image shows the actual specimen you will receive. Each square or cube in the photo scale equals 1cm – refer to images for full sizing and detail.

This is a museum-quality and scientifically valuable piece, ideal for collectors of cephalopods, marine fossils, or British Cretaceous geology.

All of our Fossils are 100% Genuine Specimens & come with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Geological & Scientific Information:

• Fossil Type: Nautiloid (Extinct Marine Cephalopod)
• Genus/Species: Cenoceras elegans
• Order: Nautilida
• Superfamily: Nautilaceae
• Family: Nautilidae
• Geological Stage: Lower Cenomanian (approx. 100.5 – 98 million years ago)
• Biozone: Possibly within the Mantelliceras mantelli ammonite biozone (exact stratigraphy may vary depending on quarry layer)
• Formation: Chalk Marl or Lower Chalk (depending on exposure at Lewes)
• Locality: Lewes, Kent, United Kingdom
• Depositional Environment: Warm, shallow marine shelf with carbonate-rich sedimentation typical of the early Late Cretaceous chalk sea

Morphology & Notable Features:

• Characteristically planispiral shell with a smooth to gently ornamented surface
• Distinctive simple suture lines, unlike ammonites with complex sutures
• The shell exhibits the elegant coiling and chamber divisions typical of Cenoceras
• Shell walls typically thick, with strong preservation potential
• Excellent contrast between body chamber and phragmocone visible in well-preserved examples

Scientific Significance:

Cenoceras elegans represents one of the last surviving groups of nautiloids that coexisted alongside their more rapidly evolving ammonite cousins. While ammonites are often used for detailed stratigraphy, nautiloids like Cenoceras offer important insights into paleoecology and faunal diversity within the Cretaceous marine ecosystem.

Their more conservative evolutionary path makes them particularly valuable for studies of evolutionary stasis and ecological adaptation during the Mesozoic.

Ideal For:

• Collectors of rare British cephalopod fossils
• Natural history or educational collections
• Cretaceous paleontology enthusiasts
• Geological reference displays or museum contexts

What You Will Receive:

• The exact Cenoceras elegans fossil shown (7″)
• Certificate of Authenticity
• Careful and secure packaging for safe delivery