Description
Genuine Canadoceras yokoyamai Ammonite Fossil
This genuine fossil ammonite is a Canadoceras yokoyamai from the Haslam Formation at Brannan Lake, British Columbia, Canada. Dating from the Upper Cretaceous, this specimen represents a fascinating marine cephalopod from one of western Canada’s important fossil-bearing Cretaceous deposits. It is a carefully chosen fossil, with the photo showing the actual specimen you will receive. Full sizing can be seen in the photo, and the fossil includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card.
Canadoceras yokoyamai is an extinct ammonite species, belonging to a group of marine molluscs related to modern squid, cuttlefish, octopus, and nautilus. Ammonites lived inside coiled chambered shells, with the living animal occupying the final body chamber while the earlier chambers helped regulate buoyancy. Their elegant shell form, complex internal structure, and value for dating ancient rock layers make them among the most collected and scientifically important fossils from the Mesozoic Era.
Species: Canadoceras yokoyamai
Canadoceras yokoyamai was originally described as Pachydiscus yokoyamai by Jimbo in 1894 and was later placed in the genus Canadoceras. The species name honours the Japanese palaeontologist Matajirō Yokoyama, while the genus name reflects its strong association with Late Cretaceous deposits of Canada and the North Pacific region.
This ammonite belongs to the family Pachydiscidae, a family of Upper Cretaceous ammonites known for generally robust, rounded, and often strongly ribbed shells. Members of this group can show broad whorls, a rounded venter, and ornamentation made up of ribs, growth lines, and sometimes constrictions. These shell features give Canadoceras a solid, sculptural appearance that is highly appealing to collectors of Cretaceous ammonites.
Geology: Haslam Formation, British Columbia
This fossil comes from the Haslam Formation, part of the Nanaimo Group of British Columbia. The Haslam Formation is a famous Upper Cretaceous marine rock unit exposed around Vancouver Island and nearby areas, including fossil localities near Brannan Lake. These rocks were deposited in an ancient marine basin along the western margin of North America.
The formation is largely made up of dark marine shale and related sedimentary rocks, representing quiet offshore to deeper-water conditions where fine mud accumulated on the seafloor. Within these sediments, ammonites, bivalves, marine reptiles, fish remains, and other sea life could be buried and preserved. Fossils from this formation provide an important record of the Late Cretaceous marine ecosystems that once existed along the Pacific margin of Canada.
Age: Upper Cretaceous Marine Life
This specimen dates to the Upper Cretaceous Period, a time when ammonites were widespread and highly successful in oceans around the world. During this interval, high sea levels created extensive marine habitats, and the waters around what is now British Columbia supported a rich community of marine organisms.
A living Canadoceras yokoyamai would have been a free-swimming cephalopod, moving through the water using jet propulsion. Its coiled shell contained internal chambers separated by walls known as septa. The lines where these septa met the outer shell wall formed intricate suture patterns, one of the key features used by palaeontologists to identify ammonites and understand their evolutionary relationships.
Morphology and Fossil Features
Canadoceras yokoyamai is recognised for its rounded ammonite shell form and strong Late Cretaceous character. The shell is typically coiled in a planispiral form, meaning it coils in a single flat plane. The whorls may be fairly broad, giving the fossil a substantial and sturdy appearance. Depending on preservation, visible ribs, curved growth lines, whorl shape, and shell surface details may be present.
Ammonites such as Canadoceras are especially valued because their shells preserve both aesthetic and scientific information. The outer shell form records the animal’s growth, while internal chambering and suture patterns reveal details of its structure and classification. Even when preserved as a partial or weathered specimen, a Canadoceras ammonite remains a direct physical connection to the marine world of the Late Cretaceous.
Depositional Environment
The Haslam Formation represents an ancient marine setting where fine sediment settled through the water column and accumulated on the seabed. Ammonite shells would have sunk after death and become buried in these sediments. Over millions of years, pressure, mineralisation, and geological change transformed the surrounding muds into rock and preserved the ammonite as a fossil.
This fossil therefore records more than just the animal itself. It also represents the ancient seaway environment of Cretaceous British Columbia, including the offshore waters, sedimentary conditions, and marine ecosystems that existed long before modern landscapes formed.
Collector Appeal
This Canadoceras yokoyamai ammonite is an excellent fossil for collectors interested in Canadian fossils, Upper Cretaceous ammonites, marine cephalopods, Nanaimo Group fossils, and natural history specimens from British Columbia. Fossils from the Haslam Formation are especially appealing because of their distinctive geological setting and strong connection to the ancient Pacific margin of North America.
The specimen is suitable for display in a fossil cabinet, study collection, classroom, office, home display, or museum-style arrangement. Its combination of scientific interest, genuine fossil origin, and classic ammonite form makes it a desirable piece for both new and experienced fossil collectors.
Authenticity and Presentation
This is a genuine Canadoceras yokoyamai ammonite fossil from the Haslam Formation, Brannan Lake, British Columbia, Canada. The photograph shows the actual carefully chosen specimen you will receive, allowing you to view the fossil’s natural colour, preservation, shape, and overall appearance before purchase. Full sizing is shown in the photo.
This fossil includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, giving confidence that it is a real prehistoric specimen. It is a collectable Upper Cretaceous ammonite from Canada, preserving the remains of an extinct marine cephalopod that lived in ancient seas millions of years ago.
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