LK Ammonite Cleoniceras
Cleoniceras besairiei
Lower Cretaceous (Albian)
Mahajanga Basin
Madagascar
Here is an outstanding example of C. besairiei with the original shell removed to reveal a really detailed suture pattern. This specimen is a complete phragmocone with a small portion of the living chamber. Most examples from these localities are sanded and polished to such an extent that the original aragonite shell is removed and often the detail of the suture pattern is lost. Careful preparation however can preserve the original complexity of the sutures as well as the lateral ribbing characteristic of the species. The ammonite is 11.5 inches across.
These Lower Cretaceous ammonites are quarried commercially in Madagascar. They are found in a hard basal glauconitic sandstone layer known as the Cleoniceras Zone.
$650