Description
Very Rare Gaudryceras tenuiliratum Fossil Ammonite
This is a very rare Gaudryceras tenuiliratum fossil ammonite from the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous, collected from Hokkaido, Japan. This carefully chosen specimen is a genuine fossil and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. The photograph shows the actual fossil you will receive, allowing collectors to view the real preservation, form, colour, surface texture and natural character of the specimen before purchase.
Full sizing can be seen in the photo. This is an excellent fossil for collectors of rare ammonites, Japanese fossils, Hokkaido fossils, Cretaceous marine fossils, natural history specimens and scientifically interesting cephalopods.
Cretaceous Geology and Age
Gaudryceras tenuiliratum dates from the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period, approximately 83 to 72 million years old. This was a time when ammonites were still highly diverse and widespread in the world’s oceans, before their extinction at the end of the Cretaceous. During the Campanian, the region now known as Hokkaido was influenced by marine conditions along the north-west Pacific margin, where sediment accumulated in ancient seas and preserved a rich fossil record.
Hokkaido is one of the most famous ammonite-producing regions in Japan and is especially known for its beautifully preserved Cretaceous ammonites. The marine deposits of this region have yielded a wide variety of ammonites, bivalves, gastropods, fish remains and other marine fossils, making it an important locality for both collectors and palaeontological study.
Fossil Type and Species
This specimen is an ammonite, an extinct marine cephalopod related to modern squid, cuttlefish and nautilus. Ammonites lived inside chambered shells, with the animal occupying the final body chamber while the earlier chambers helped control buoyancy. This allowed the ammonite to regulate its position in the water column as it moved through Cretaceous seas.
Species: Gaudryceras tenuiliratum
Genus: Gaudryceras
Family: Gaudryceratidae
Superfamily: Tetragonitoidea
Order: Ammonitida
Class: Cephalopoda
Phylum: Mollusca
Gaudryceras is a distinctive and highly collectable Cretaceous ammonite genus. Members of this group are recognised for their elegant coiled shells, fine ornamentation and importance in Late Cretaceous ammonite faunas. Gaudryceras tenuiliratum is particularly desirable because of its delicate ribbing and association with classic Japanese Cretaceous fossil localities.
Morphology and Notable Features
Gaudryceras tenuiliratum is known for its attractive planispiral shell form and fine, closely spaced ribbing. The species name reflects the delicate lirate ornamentation that can appear across the shell surface. These fine ribs and growth lines create a detailed texture, giving the fossil strong visual appeal and making it especially interesting to ammonite collectors.
The shell form is generally rounded and elegant, with visible whorl development showing the growth of the ammonite through life. As with other ammonites, the internal shell would have been divided into chambers connected by a siphuncle, allowing the animal to adjust buoyancy. The outer body chamber housed the living cephalopod, which would have moved through ancient marine waters as part of the Late Cretaceous ecosystem.
Hokkaido, Japan Fossil Locality
Hokkaido is internationally respected for its Cretaceous ammonite fossils. The island’s fossil-bearing marine sediments were deposited in ancient sea environments where ammonite shells could be buried after death and preserved over millions of years. The combination of fine sediment, mineralisation and geological stability has helped produce fossils that are prized for both scientific and display value.
Japanese ammonites are highly sought after by collectors because they represent an important Pacific Cretaceous fauna, distinct from many of the more commonly encountered European and North African ammonite localities. A Gaudryceras tenuiliratum from Hokkaido is a particularly appealing specimen for collectors looking for a rare, named species ammonite from a classic Japanese locality.
Authenticity and Collector Appeal
This very rare Gaudryceras tenuiliratum ammonite is a genuine fossil specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. It has been carefully selected as a quality collector’s piece, and the photograph shows the exact fossil supplied.
As with all genuine fossils, natural cracks, mineralisation, matrix, preparation marks, surface texture, colour variation and age-related wear may be present. These are normal features of authentic fossils and form part of the specimen’s individual geological history. This Campanian Cretaceous ammonite from Hokkaido, Japan is ideal for fossil collectors, ammonite specialists, educational collections, geology displays and anyone seeking a rare genuine marine fossil from one of the most respected Cretaceous ammonite regions in the world.
