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This is an exceptionally rare and exquisite specimen of a partial rostrum (upper and lower jaws) from an Ichthyosaur, probably Ichthyosaurus communis. This piece has been stabilized and expertly prepared in the lab using pneumatic tools to expose both sides of the upper and lower jaws, revealing many of the wonderfully preserved teeth. The articulation of this piece is extremely rare as most bones become dispersed on the sea floor after death due to decomposition or scavenging, making this piece very sought after.

Fossilization is more likely to take place if limestone nodules form around the bone as it is buried beneath ever increasing layers of sediment. The bone undergoes mineralization, where the pores in the bone fill with minerals in the water, like pyrite and calcite, that later precipitate out of solution and replace the bone in minute detail.

This is a rare piece from the celebrated Charmouth / Lyme Regis locality in Dorset, South West England. The rocks of this locality date back to the early part of the Jurassic period about 200 million years ago. Lyme Regis was made famous by Mary Anning, a victorian paleontologist, who discovered the fossilized remains of many large marine reptiles, including ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs, that are now on display in the Natural History Museum in London.

The tips of several teeth have undergone restoration and are not original, although they have been thoughtfully restored. This definitely adds to the aesthetic display quality of the piece. The amount of effort, sometimes including acid work, that goes into the preparation of a piece like this is extensive and requires a very skilled and knowledgable preparater.

Vendor: Fossil Soup
SKU Number: SQ3477137