Description
Genuine Spathiella sp. Ammonite Fossil from the Caucasus, USSR
This is a genuine Spathiella sp. ammonite fossil from the Lower Cretaceous, Aptian Stage, recorded from the Caucasus region of USSR. This carefully chosen fossil represents an authentic marine cephalopod from a time when warm Cretaceous seas covered many parts of Europe and western Asia. Fossils from the Caucasus are particularly interesting to collectors because the region preserves important marine successions linked to ancient seaways that supported diverse ammonite faunas.
The fossil shown in the photograph is the actual specimen you will receive. Full sizing can be seen in the photo. This fossil also includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, making it a desirable piece for fossil collectors, geology enthusiasts, educational displays, natural history cabinets, and anyone looking for a genuine Cretaceous ammonite with strong locality interest.
Fossil Type and Identification
Spathiella sp. is an ammonite, an extinct marine cephalopod related to modern squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus. Ammonites lived inside coiled, chambered shells, with the animal occupying the final outer body chamber. The inner chambers were used for buoyancy control, helping the ammonite move through the water column of the ancient sea.
The identification Spathiella sp. means the fossil has been assigned to the genus Spathiella, while the exact species has not been specified. This is common with ammonites where natural preservation, matrix, surface wear, compression, or incomplete exposure may limit precise species-level identification. Genus-level identification still gives the fossil strong scientific and collectable value, especially when paired with a known age and locality.
Lower Cretaceous Aptian Age
This ammonite dates to the Aptian Stage of the Lower Cretaceous, approximately 125 to 113 million years old. The Aptian was a significant interval in ammonite evolution, with many ammonite groups spreading widely through marine environments. Because ammonites evolved quickly and had broad geographic ranges, they are especially important as guide fossils for dating and correlating Cretaceous rock layers.
During the Aptian, marine ecosystems were rich and varied. Ammonites lived alongside nautiloids, bivalves, gastropods, echinoids, brachiopods, fish, and marine reptiles. These seas were part of a changing Cretaceous world, with high sea levels, warm climates, and active connections between major marine basins. Spathiella would have been part of this dynamic marine environment, moving through the water as a free-swimming cephalopod.
Caucasus, USSR Geological Setting
The Caucasus region of USSR is geologically important, with sedimentary rocks that record ancient marine environments associated with the wider Tethyan realm. During the Cretaceous, this region was influenced by warm seas and marine basins that connected different parts of the ancient world. These conditions allowed ammonites and other marine animals to thrive, leaving behind fossil-rich deposits that are now valued by collectors and researchers.
The sediments that preserved ammonites such as Spathiella were originally laid down on the sea floor as muds, silts, marls, limestones, or sandy marine deposits depending on the local environment. After the ammonite died, its shell could settle into the sediment, become buried, and slowly fossilise over millions of years. Mineral replacement, pressure, and natural weathering helped create the fossil specimens found today.
Morphology and Display Features
Spathiella ammonites show the classic coiled shell form that makes ammonites one of the most recognisable fossil groups. The shell is planispirally coiled, forming a flat spiral with visible whorls. Depending on preservation, specimens may show ribbing, growth lines, whorl shape, shell texture, natural mineral colour, matrix, or chamber detail. These features reflect both the biology of the living ammonite and the geological processes that preserved it.
The natural character of this fossil may include mineral staining, matrix attachment, surface texture, small imperfections, or signs of compression. These are part of the fossil’s genuine history and help show that the specimen has undergone natural burial and preservation over deep geological time. Its Cretaceous age, USSR Caucasus provenance, and ammonite form make it a strong display piece for a fossil cabinet or educational collection.
Certificate of Authenticity Included
This Spathiella sp. ammonite fossil is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. It has been selected as an individual fossil, with the photograph showing the exact specimen supplied. This makes it suitable for collectors of Cretaceous fossils, ammonites, USSR fossils, marine cephalopods, and natural history specimens.
With its Lower Cretaceous Aptian age, Caucasus locality, and classic ammonite appearance, this fossil offers a tangible connection to the ancient marine ecosystems that existed more than 100 million years ago.
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