Rare Scaphites warreni Ammonite Fossil Turonian Utah USA with COA

Description

RARE SCAPHITES WARRENI AMMONITE FOSSIL

This genuine Scaphites warreni ammonite is a rare Upper Cretaceous fossil from the Mancos Shale near Castlegate, Emery County, Utah, USA. It is Turonian in age and represents a distinctive heteromorph ammonite from the vast marine environment that once covered much of the interior of North America. The supplied photographs show the actual specimen you will receive, including its natural surface, preservation and matrix.

SPECIES AND SHELL FORM

Scaphites warreni belongs to the order Ammonitida and the scaphitid group of heteromorph ammonites. Scaphites developed a shell unlike the continuously coiled form seen in many other ammonites. Growth generally began with a compact, closely coiled juvenile portion, followed by a straighter or uncoiled section and a recurved adult body chamber. This characteristic geometry makes scaphitids immediately recognisable and scientifically useful for studying changes in ammonite growth.

Like other ammonites, Scaphites possessed a chambered shell. The living animal occupied the final body chamber, while the earlier chambers contributed to buoyancy control. Lines where the internal chamber walls joined the shell formed complex sutures, features that palaeontologists use when identifying and comparing ammonite groups.

MANCOS SHALE AND THE WESTERN INTERIOR SEAWAY

The Mancos Shale is an extensive marine rock unit of the western United States. This specimen is recorded from the Turonian stage of the Upper Cretaceous, approximately 94 to 90 million years ago. During this interval, the Western Interior Seaway divided North America into eastern and western landmasses and connected Arctic waters with the Gulf of Mexico.

Fine mud accumulated across the seabed and eventually lithified into shale. Ammonites, marine reptiles, fish and numerous invertebrates inhabited the waters above. When shells settled onto oxygen-poor or rapidly accumulating sediment, they could be buried before complete destruction, giving geological processes the opportunity to preserve them as fossils. Mancos Shale ammonites provide valuable evidence for reconstructing the age, geography and ecology of this vanished inland sea.

A DISTINCTIVE AMERICAN COLLECTOR’S SPECIMEN

The combination of an identified species, a classic Western Interior Seaway formation and a recorded Utah locality gives this fossil strong geological context. Scaphites specimens are sought after for their unusual shell development and their importance in Cretaceous marine biostratigraphy. This example is well suited to an ammonite collection, an American fossil display or a study set illustrating heteromorph shell growth.

Every fossil is naturally individual. Matrix, mineral colour changes, small fractures, weathering and incomplete shell areas are authentic consequences of burial and preservation. Please examine all photographs for the full sizing, precise condition and natural character of this particular specimen.

AUTHENTICITY AND PRESENTATION

This is a genuine fossil specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. It is suitable for palaeontology study, geological display, educational use or a memorable natural-history gift. The fossil has been carefully selected, and every listing image shows the exact specimen that will be supplied. It will be prepared for secure handling and dispatch so its rare form and connection to the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway can be appreciated for years to come.