Witchellia aff rubra Ammonite Fossil Jurassic Bajocian Dorset UK COA Specimen A1 Inferior Oolite Sherborne Genuine Fossil

Description

Witchellia aff. rubra Ammonite Fossil – Middle Jurassic, Dorset, UK

This genuine Witchellia aff. rubra ammonite fossil is a carefully chosen specimen from the Inferior Oolite Group at Redpole Lane, near Sherborne, Dorset, UK. Dating to the Middle Jurassic Period, Bajocian Stage, Laeviuscula Subzone, this fossil represents a highly collectable British Jurassic ammonite from one of Dorset’s classic inland fossil-bearing areas. The photograph shows the actual specimen you will receive, making this an excellent choice for fossil collectors, natural history enthusiasts, geology students, educational displays, and anyone interested in authentic UK Jurassic fossils.

Genuine Fossil with Certificate of Authenticity

This fossil is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. It has been selected as an individual natural history specimen, with full sizing shown in the photo. The fossil is offered exactly as pictured, allowing buyers to view the preservation, surface detail, shell form, and natural character of the actual ammonite being supplied.

Species and Fossil Type

Witchellia aff. rubra is an ammonite, an extinct marine cephalopod related to modern squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus. Ammonites are among the most recognisable and scientifically valuable fossils from the Jurassic Period, prized for their coiled shells, ornamental ribbing, and importance in geological dating. The abbreviation “aff.” means the specimen shows close affinity with Witchellia rubra, while allowing for cautious identification where natural variation, preservation, or incomplete diagnostic features may be present.

Witchellia ammonites are associated with the Middle Jurassic and are valued by collectors for their elegant planispiral shell form and distinctive ribbed ornamentation. As a living animal, the ammonite would have occupied the outer chamber of its shell, while the inner chambers helped with buoyancy in the ancient sea. The shell’s spiral growth pattern and rib structure make ammonites such as Witchellia both visually attractive and scientifically informative.

Geology and Age

This specimen comes from the Inferior Oolite Group, a well-known Middle Jurassic rock sequence found across parts of southern and western England. The Inferior Oolite was deposited in warm, shallow marine conditions during the Bajocian Stage, around 170 million years ago. These ancient seas supported a rich variety of marine life, including ammonites, bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, echinoids, crinoids, and other shelly organisms.

The Laeviuscula Subzone places this ammonite within an important biostratigraphic interval of the Bajocian. Ammonites are especially useful as index fossils because they evolved rapidly and were widely distributed in Jurassic seas. This makes them valuable for matching and dating rock layers across different localities. A Witchellia ammonite from this subzone is therefore not only attractive as a display fossil, but also interesting as a geological specimen from a specific part of the Middle Jurassic succession.

Locality – Redpole Lane, near Sherborne, Dorset

Redpole Lane, near Sherborne in Dorset, is part of a fossil-bearing region associated with the Inferior Oolite Group. While Dorset is world famous for its Jurassic Coast, inland localities around Sherborne are also significant for Middle Jurassic fossil material. These sites provide collectors with specimens from marine environments that are different in age and character from the more familiar Lower Jurassic coastal deposits around Lyme Regis and Charmouth.

The Redpole Lane locality gives this ammonite excellent regional interest, especially for collectors of Dorset fossils, British ammonites, Inferior Oolite specimens, and Sherborne-area Jurassic material. Fossils from named localities are particularly desirable because they preserve important geological provenance and provide a stronger connection to the original rock formation and ancient environment.

Scientific and Collectable Interest

This Witchellia aff. rubra ammonite is a fine example of a British Middle Jurassic cephalopod from the Bajocian of Dorset. Its combination of named genus, specific geological group, subzone, and locality makes it a desirable fossil for both display and study. Ammonites remain one of the most popular fossil groups because they combine natural beauty with genuine palaeontological importance.

This specimen would make an attractive addition to a fossil collection, natural history cabinet, educational geology set, museum-style display, or themed gift for someone interested in prehistoric life. It represents an animal that once lived in the warm Jurassic seas that covered the Sherborne area, making it a tangible piece of Dorset’s ancient marine history.