Sonninia sp Ammonite Fossil Isle of Skye Jurassic Bearreraig Bay UK COA Lower Bajocian Scotland Marine Display Specimen

Description

Genuine Sonninia sp. Ammonite Fossil

This listing is for a genuine Sonninia sp. ammonite fossil from the Bearreraig Sandstone Formation at Bearreraig Bay, near Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK. Dating from the Lower Bajocian Stage of the Middle Jurassic, this specimen represents a highly collectible Scottish Jurassic ammonite from one of the most important fossil-bearing coastal localities in the Inner Hebrides.

Sonninia ammonites are classic Middle Jurassic marine cephalopods, valued for their scientific importance, attractive coiled shell form, and strong association with Bajocian ammonite biostratigraphy. This fossil is a carefully chosen piece, and the photograph shows the actual specimen you will receive. Full sizing can be seen in the photo.

Geology, Age and Isle of Skye Locality

This ammonite comes from the Bearreraig Sandstone Formation, a Middle Jurassic geological unit exposed around Bearreraig Bay on the Isle of Skye. The Isle of Skye is internationally recognised for its Mesozoic fossil record, including ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, marine reptiles, dinosaur footprints, and other important fossils from ancient coastal and marine environments.

The fossil is Lower Bajocian in age, approximately 170 million years old. The Bajocian was an important interval in ammonite evolution, when numerous distinctive ammonite groups diversified across the shallow seas of Europe. Ammonites from this stage are especially useful to geologists because their rapid evolution allows Jurassic rock layers to be divided and correlated with precision.

Bearreraig Bay, near Portree, is particularly well known for its Jurassic marine fossils. The cliffs and foreshore in this area expose sedimentary rocks that were deposited when Skye lay beneath warm to temperate seas on the edge of an ancient marine basin. These deposits preserve a record of changing sea levels, sediment movement, and rich marine ecosystems from the Middle Jurassic.

Fossil Type and Species Details

Sonninia was an ammonite, an extinct marine mollusc belonging to the cephalopod group. Ammonites are related to modern squid, cuttlefish, octopus, and nautilus, although ammonites themselves became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous Period. Like other ammonites, Sonninia had a coiled external shell divided internally into chambers. The living animal occupied the final body chamber, while the earlier chambers helped control buoyancy as it moved through the water.

Sonninia ammonites are generally recognised by their planispiral coiled shells, ribbed ornament, and distinctive whorl shape. Depending on species, growth stage, and preservation, specimens may show strong to moderately developed ribs, a compressed to slightly inflated profile, and a defined outer whorl. These features make Sonninia both visually appealing and scientifically useful within Middle Jurassic ammonite faunas.

Scientific classification places Sonninia within Phylum Mollusca, Class Cephalopoda, Subclass Ammonoidea, Order Ammonitida, Superfamily Hammatoceratoidea, and Family Sonniniidae. The genus Sonninia was named by Bayle in 1879 and is one of the characteristic ammonite groups of the Bajocian.

Bearreraig Sandstone Formation Marine Environment

The Bearreraig Sandstone Formation records an ancient marine setting where sand, silt, and shell-rich sediment accumulated in Jurassic seas around what is now the Isle of Skye. These deposits represent dynamic shallow marine to nearshore conditions, influenced by currents, sediment supply, and changing water depths.

Sonninia sp. would have lived in this marine environment as part of a diverse Middle Jurassic ecosystem. The same waters supported belemnites, bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, fish, marine reptiles, and other ammonites. The chambered shell of Sonninia allowed buoyancy control, helping the animal move through the water column as an active predator, scavenger, or opportunistic feeder.

The preservation of ammonites from Bearreraig Bay provides a direct connection to the ancient seas that once covered this part of Scotland. Fossils from Skye are especially desirable because of their strong locality appeal, geological significance, and connection to one of the most famous fossil regions in the UK.

Collectible Scottish Jurassic Ammonite

This Sonninia sp. ammonite fossil is an excellent specimen for collectors interested in Scottish fossils, Isle of Skye geology, Middle Jurassic ammonites, British fossils, and scientifically labelled natural history specimens. Its Bearreraig Bay locality, Bearreraig Sandstone Formation origin, Lower Bajocian age, and classic ammonite form give it strong collector and educational appeal.

This fossil is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. The photograph shows the actual fossil you will receive, making this a carefully selected and accurately represented specimen from the Middle Jurassic marine deposits of Bearreraig Bay, near Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland.