RARE Fossil Ammonite Pachyvascoceras – Lower Turonian, Cretaceous – France – Certified Authentic – Alice Purnell Collection

Description

RARE FOSSIL AMMONITE – Pachyvascoceras (Lower Turonian, Cretaceous)

Locality: France

From the Alice Purnell Collection

Includes Certificate of Authenticity

This listing features an exceptional fossil specimen of Pachyvascoceras, a rare and robust ammonite genus from the Lower Turonian Stage of the Late Cretaceous period, found in France. This genus is part of the diverse Vascoceratidae family, renowned for its thick-shelled, planispiral ammonites and notable for biostratigraphic importance during the early post-Cenomanian marine transgression.

You will receive the exact fossil shown in the photo, and a 1cm scale cube is included for size reference. Please see all images for full dimensions and detail. Every fossil we sell is 100% genuine, and this specimen is sourced directly from the prestigious Alice Purnell Collection.

GEOLOGICAL & TAXONOMIC DETAILS:

• Genus: Pachyvascoceras
• Age: Lower Turonian (~93.9 – 89.8 million years ago)
• Period: Late Cretaceous
• Formation/Locality: Marine limestone and marl beds, France
• Depositional Environment: Shallow epicontinental sea with calm marine conditions, often with fine sediments ideal for fossil preservation
• Order: Ammonitida
• Superfamily: Acanthoceratoidea
• Family: Vascoceratidae
• Biozone: Typically associated with the base of the Turonian ammonite zones (e.g., Watinoceras devonense Zone)

MORPHOLOGY & FEATURES:

• Shell Type: Strongly involute, thick-shelled planispiral ammonite
• Ornamentation: Often displays bold ribbing and occasional tubercles or nodes along the flanks
• Whorl Cross-Section: Broad and compressed with rounded flanks
• Suture Pattern: Complex ammonitic suture line, typical of Turonian ammonites
• Preservation: This specimen retains significant external detail, suitable for academic or display use
• Significance: Rare genus, often used to mark the early Turonian in global stratigraphy

DISPLAY & COLLECTOR VALUE:

This rare Pachyvascoceras ammonite makes a stunning addition to any fossil collection. Its age and classification place it at a key transition in Cretaceous marine life following the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event, marked by major global changes in ocean chemistry and faunal turnover.

Its scientific significance, striking preservation, and provenance from the Alice Purnell Collection add to its collectibility and educational value. Ideal for collectors of European ammonites, Cretaceous marine fauna, or those with a focus on biozone marker species.

INCLUDED WITH PURCHASE:

• Exact fossil shown in photo
• Certificate of Authenticity
• Professional ID and provenance details
• Scale cube = 1cm shown in photo

This is a superb fossil ammonite with both scientific merit and natural beauty, representing a classic species from the early Turonian seas of Cretaceous Europe.