79MM Pygurus Marmonti Sea Urchin Fossil Sand Dollar Jurassic Age Madagascar

Location: Majanga, Madagascar

Weight: 6.4 Ounces

Dimensions: 79MM

The item pictured is the one you will receive.

The Pygurus marmonti Sand Dollar, often called the Fossil Sea Urchin, is an extinct echinoid that lived during the Jurassic Period, approximately 145–200 million years ago. Distinguished by its elegant five-pointed star pattern, this natural design reflects the animal’s internal skeletal structure and radial symmetry—features that make it both scientifically significant and visually captivating.

Fossil examples from Madagascar are especially admired for their remarkable preservation. Many specimens have been naturally smoothed over time or gently polished to enhance the fine surface details and balanced symmetry of the test (the sea urchin’s hard outer shell).

When alive, Pygurus marmonti inhabited shallow marine environments, where it burrowed into soft seabed sediments. After death, its durable test became buried beneath layers of sediment. Over millions of years, mineral replacement and compression transformed it into stone, preserving an exquisite imprint of Jurassic marine life.

Please be aware of the nature of fossils:

Being buried under the ground for millions of years under tons of pressure tends to be rough. No fossil comes out of the ground whole and perfect. Most fossils have undergone some restoration, while others are altered by man simply to enhance their presentation in different ways. The workers in Madagascar do a very professional job of unearthing and preserving these natural treasures; however, natural cracks are visible on the surface. These are part of the natural beauty of the fossil and are not considered defects.