Rare Oistoceras figulinum Ammonite Fossil Jurassic Lincolnshire UK COA Genuine – Upper Pliensbachian Waddington Specimen

Description

Rare Oistoceras figulinum Ammonite Fossil from Lincolnshire

This rare Oistoceras figulinum ammonite fossil is a genuine Jurassic specimen from Waddington, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK, dating to the Upper Pliensbachian Stage of the Early Jurassic Period. Oistoceras ammonites are highly collectable British Jurassic fossils, valued for their distinctive ribbing, classic coiled shell form, and strong connection to the ancient marine deposits of eastern England. This specimen represents a fascinating piece of prehistoric sea life from a time when much of Britain was covered by warm, shallow epicontinental seas.

Genuine Fossil with Certificate of Authenticity

This fossil is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, making it ideal for collectors, fossil enthusiasts, educational displays, geology students, and anyone looking for an authentic British Jurassic ammonite. The fossil shown in the photo is the actual specimen you will receive, carefully chosen for its character, geological interest, and display appeal. Full sizing can be seen in the photo.

Geology, Age and Locality

The specimen comes from Waddington, near Lincoln in Lincolnshire, an area associated with Lower Jurassic marine sedimentary rocks. The fossil dates to the Upper Pliensbachian, approximately 190 million years old. During this part of the Jurassic Period, the region that is now Lincolnshire lay beneath a shallow marine environment where ammonites, belemnites, bivalves and other marine invertebrates thrived.

The Pliensbachian seas were rich in cephalopod life, and ammonites such as Oistoceras were active nektonic predators or scavengers, moving through the water column using jet propulsion. After death, their shells could settle onto the seabed and become buried in fine marine sediment. Over millions of years, mineralisation and compaction preserved these shells as fossils, creating the specimens collected from Jurassic strata today.

Fossil Type and Species

Oistoceras figulinum is an ammonite, an extinct marine cephalopod related to modern squid, cuttlefish and nautilus. Ammonites are instantly recognisable for their coiled shells, which were divided internally into chambers. The animal lived in the final chamber, while the earlier chambers helped control buoyancy.

Oistoceras belongs to the ammonite group commonly associated with the order Ammonitida, within the family Oistoceratidae and superfamily Eoderoceratoidea. Members of this group are known for their ribbed, evolute to moderately involute shell forms, with ornamentation that can include strong primary ribs and distinctive whorl development. These features make Oistoceras an attractive and scientifically interesting genus for collectors of British Jurassic fossils.

Morphology and Display Features

This Oistoceras fossil displays the classic planispiral ammonite form, with the shell coiled in a single plane. The ribbing pattern is one of the most appealing features of the species, giving the fossil strong visual texture and helping distinguish it from other Jurassic ammonites. Depending on preservation, examples of Oistoceras may show pronounced ribs crossing the whorls, a defined outer whorl, and a compact, balanced shell profile.

The specimen is particularly desirable because it combines a recognised species name, a precise British locality, and a well-defined Jurassic age. Fossils with this level of geological information are especially appealing to serious collectors, as locality and stratigraphic detail add context and long-term collection value.

Upper Pliensbachian Jurassic Marine Environment

The Upper Pliensbachian was a dynamic period in Early Jurassic marine history. Britain was positioned further south than it is today and was influenced by warm seas that covered large parts of Europe. The seabed environments varied from quieter mud-rich settings to more oxygenated shallow marine areas, creating excellent conditions for the preservation of ammonites and other shelled organisms.

Ammonites are important index fossils because many species evolved rapidly and had wide geographic distributions. This makes them valuable for dating rock layers and comparing Jurassic strata from different regions. A specimen of Oistoceras from Lincolnshire is therefore not only a collectable fossil, but also a small record of ancient marine biodiversity and geological time.

Collectable British Jurassic Ammonite

British ammonites remain among the most popular fossils for collectors due to their beauty, age, and scientific importance. This rare Oistoceras figulinum ammonite fossil from Waddington, Lincolnshire would make an excellent addition to a fossil collection, natural history display, educational resource, or cabinet of curiosities. Its combination of species identification, Jurassic age, Lincolnshire locality and Certificate of Authenticity gives it strong appeal across eBay, Etsy and WooCommerce collectors’ markets.

This is a genuine fossil specimen, supplied with a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. The photo shows the actual fossil you will receive, and full sizing can be viewed in the image.