The Nature Museum in Luxembourg City is in the possession of a remarkable find that stands as a global rarity: the fossil of a "nautilid," a cephalopod species dating back to the Early Middle Jurassic period, approximately 168 million years ago.

The fossil was found in an active quarry along the French-Luxembourg border in Rumelange in the 1990s and has been in the possession of the Nature Museum since 2022.

The ancient marine creature, a distant relative of modern-day octopuses, served as the holotype for a newly identified species, aptly named "Cenoceras rumelangense" after its Rumelange origin in the Berenskaul-Wäisskaul region. Interestingly, the rock stratum harbouring this fossil, known as "Marnes sableuses d'Audun-le-Tiche," ranks among the country's most recent geological formations.

Beyond being a novel species, the fossil sets a record as the world's largest nautilid documented in scientific literature. Nautilid fossils are relatively scarce compared to their cephalopod counterparts, a fact underscored by palaeontologist Ben Thuy of the Nature Museum. The rarity of discovering such well-preserved fossils further adds to the significance of this find.

Individuals who find fossils or intriguing artefacts are encouraged to contact the Nature Museum. You can do this by submitting a photo of the item to either Ben Thuy (ben.thuy@mnhn.lu) or Roby Weis (rweis@mnhn.lu) for assessment.

This approach has enriched the museum's collection with numerous captivating objects, though it is not obligatory for contributors to part with their discoveries. In many instances, people can keep their finds. Alternatively, they can choose to offer the items on loan to the museum, or even consider selling them to the institution.

For those interested in further details, the publication on "Cenoceras rumelangense" can be accessed in the Swiss Journal of Palaeontology.