Scaphites inaequalis Ammonite Fossil Sussex Cenomanian with COA

Description

Genuine Scaphites Ammonite Fossil

This genuine ammonite fossil is identified as Scaphites inaequalis and comes from Hamsey Old Pit in East Sussex, United Kingdom. It is preserved from the Lower Chalk and dates to the Lower Cenomanian Stage of the Upper Cretaceous. The specimen is a carefully selected British fossil with valuable species, geological unit, age, and locality information. The photographs show the actual fossil offered for sale, so the ammonite pictured is the exact specimen you will receive.

Scaphites was an extinct marine cephalopod with an unusual shell form. Early growth was tightly coiled, but the mature shell became partly uncoiled before curving back toward the earlier whorls. This distinctive shape places Scaphites among the heteromorph ammonites, whose shells departed from the regular flat spiral seen in many familiar ammonite genera. The shell remained chambered, with older sealed chambers contributing to buoyancy and the living animal occupying the final body chamber.

Lower Cenomanian Geological Age

The Cenomanian is the earliest stage of the Late Cretaceous Period, approximately 101 to 94 million years ago. During the Lower Cenomanian, warm seas spread across large areas of Europe. These marine environments supported ammonites, bivalves, echinoids, sponges, fish, and many other organisms. After death, a shell could settle on the sea floor and become buried within carbonate-rich sediment. Compaction, mineralisation, and later geological change preserved portions of some shells as fossils.

Ammonites evolved rapidly and were distributed through seas around the world. Their changing shell forms make them valuable index fossils, helping geologists compare rock sequences and establish relative ages. The documented Lower Cenomanian age therefore gives this specimen a clear position near the beginning of the Upper Cretaceous.

Lower Chalk and East Sussex Provenance

The Lower Chalk represents carbonate-rich marine sediment deposited in the Cretaceous sea that covered southern Britain. It forms part of the famous Chalk Group and records a long interval of offshore sedimentation dominated by microscopic calcareous remains, fine mud, and marine skeletal material.

Hamsey Old Pit in East Sussex provides a specific locality context for this fossil. A specimen with documented site and geological unit carries more collecting and educational information than an entirely unlocalised fossil. It can complement a collection arranged by British county, Cretaceous stage, ammonite type, geological formation, or ancient marine environment.

Heteromorph Shell and Collectable Detail

Scaphites inaequalis is especially interesting because of its compact heteromorph shell. Examine the photographs for the coiled early whorls, curved later body chamber, ribbing, shell outline, matrix, and preserved surface details on this individual example. Rib strength, whorl proportions, degree of uncoiling, and changes in ornament are useful characteristics when comparing scaphitid ammonites and interpreting their growth.

Natural colour, mineral texture, small breaks, areas of wear, and differences in surface preservation reflect the fossil’s long geological history. Every specimen preserves a different balance of shell, mineral replacement, and surrounding rock. The multiple photographs show the exact piece from useful angles and present its condition, proportions, texture, and natural display character more accurately than a generic image could.

Exact Specimen and Full Sizing

Full sizing is shown in the photographs, which provide the best scale information for this individual fossil. The images are not stock photographs and do not represent a similar piece. They show the exact Scaphites inaequalis ammonite fossil that will be supplied.

Authenticity and Presentation

This is a genuine fossil specimen and includes a generic Certificate of Authenticity card with a lifetime guarantee. It has been carefully chosen for its distinctive heteromorph form, Lower Chalk context, Lower Cenomanian age, Hamsey Old Pit locality, East Sussex provenance, and natural geological character. It makes an appealing addition to a cabinet collection, educational display, office, study, or gift for anyone interested in authentic Cretaceous fossils, British palaeontology, or unusual ammonites.