All about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals by Everything Dinosaur team members.

Articles, features and stories with an emphasis on geology.

30 11, 2024

Scotland’s Contribution to Palaeontology and Geology on St Andrew’s Day

By |2024-12-01T05:52:30+00:00November 30th, 2024|Geology|0 Comments

Today, November the 30th is St Andrew’s Day.  We celebrate the patron saint of Scotland and that country’s contribution to palaeontology and geology.  The rugged landscapes of Scotland reveal some remarkable geology.  Indeed, researchers have uncovered some of the world’s most significant fossil sites in the land formerly known as Caledonia. For example, sedimentary rocks found on the Isle of Skye date from the Middle Jurassic and fossil discoveries have provided evidence of a unique dinosaur biota.  Furthermore, fossils of early mammals and unique pterosaurs have been discovered.

In 2022, a new rhamphorhynchid pterosaur was described from fossil remains found on the east coast of the Trottenish peninsula on the Isle of Skye (Lealt Shale Formation).  The new pterosaur was named Dearc sgiathanach.  Earlier this year, CollectA introduced a 1:3 scale replica of this Middle Jurassic pterosaur.

To view the CollectA Deluxe range available from Everything Dinosaur: Scale Models of Prehistoric Animals.

The new for 2024 CollectA Deluxe Dearc,

The CollectA Deluxe Dearc pterosaur model.

To read about the legal protection now offered to the Isle of Skye fossil sites: Fossil Sites on Skye to get Legal Protection.

Famous for Palaeontology and Geology

In 2015, the British Geological Society asked the public to vote for their favourite geology related sites in the UK and Ireland. Three of the top five locations are found in Scotland. The basaltic columns of Staffa and Siccar Point were voted number five and three respectively. The favourite location as voted for in this survey was also Scottish. The Foreland Mountains Assynt (Sutherland, Scotland) with its breath-taking isolated mountains was the number one location.

In Praise of British Geology

Voted number one in the British Geological Society Survey. Picture credit: the British Geological Society.

Picture credit: Picture credit: British Geological Society

To read more about this survey: Celebrating Earth Science Week Top 100 Fascinating Geology Locations.

Famous Scientists

Moreover, Scotland has produced influential figures in the field of geology, including Sir Charles Lyell, regarded by many as the founder of modern geology. As we honour St. Andrew today, let us also acknowledge Scotland’s vital role in advancing our understanding of our planet’s past, shaping both science and a nation’s identity.

Visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Prehistoric Animal Models.

17 08, 2024

“Snowball Earth” Confirmed by New Study of Scottish and Irish Rocks

By |2024-08-18T13:03:13+01:00August 17th, 2024|Geology|0 Comments

An ancient rock formation spanning Scotland and Ireland might provide the best evidence of “snowball Earth”.  A study led by University College London (UCL) has identified the Port Askaig Formation, as providing the most complete record of the transition of our planet from a temperate climate to a prolonged period of glaciation.  This was a crucial moment in Earth’s history when the entire planet (probably), became covered in ice.

The paper, published in the “Journal of the Geological Society” of London, postulates that the Port Askaig Formation was likely laid down between 662 to 720 million years ago during the Sturtian glaciation.  The formation is over a thousand metres thick and the Sturtian glaciation was the first of two global freezes thought to have triggered the development of complex, multicellular life.

One exposed outcrop of the formation, found on Scottish islands called the Garvellachs, is unique as it shows the transition into “snowball Earth” from a previously warm, tropical environment.

Arriving on Garbh Eileach, the largest of the Garvellach islands.

Transition into glaciation from right to left. Arriving on Garbh Eileach, the largest of the Garvellach islands. Sedimentary layers above the shoreline here record the transition into glaciation moving through time from right to left. Picture credit: Graham Shields.

Picture credit: Graham Shields

The Port Askaig Formation and “Snowball Earth”

Scientists think that the dramatic freezing of our planet was the catalyst that led to the development of more complex forms of life.  This led to the evolution of the Ediacaran fauna and eventually to the development of more familiar lifeforms as demonstrated by the “Cambrian explosion” as recorded in such famous fossil sites as the Burgess Shale.

Senior author of the scientific paper, Professor Graham Shields (UCL) explained that other rock formations that are approximately the same age as the Port Askaig Formation are missing evidence of the change in climate.

The professor commented:

“These rocks record a time when Earth was covered in ice. All complex, multicellular life, such as animals, arose out of this deep freeze, with the first evidence in the fossil record appearing shortly after the planet thawed.”

PhD candidate Elias Rugen (UCL) and first author of the study stated:

“Our study provides the first conclusive age constraints for these Scottish and Irish rocks, confirming their global significance. The layers of rock exposed on the Garvellachs are globally unique. Underneath the rocks laid down during the unimaginable cold of the Sturtian glaciation are 70 metres of older carbonate rocks formed in tropical waters. These layers record a tropical marine environment with flourishing cyanobacterial life that gradually became cooler, marking the end of a billion years or so of a temperate climate on Earth. Most areas of the world are missing this remarkable transition because the ancient glaciers scraped and eroded away the rocks underneath, but in Scotland by some miracle the transition can be seen.”

A view of Garbh Eileach, the largest island in the Garvellach island chain where the gradational transition into snowball Earth is recorded.

A view of Garbh Eileach, the largest island in the Garvellach island chain where the gradational transition into snowball Earth is recorded. Picture credit: Graham Shields.

Picture credit: Graham Shields

The Sturtian Glaciation

The Cryogenian Period (from 720 to 635 million years ago) immediately preceded the Ediacaran Period, the first time that complex life is unambiguously identified in the fossil record.  The Sturtian glaciation was the first of two global freezing events.  The Sturtian glaciation lasted around sixty to seventy million years, and it was followed shortly afterwards by a second global glaciation event (Marinoan glaciation). During these phases life on Earth transitioned. Cyanobacteria became less prominent and algae began to become more common.

Stromatolites whipped up by tropical storms demonstrate Scotland and Ireland were at low latitudes prior to "Snowball Earth".

Layers of microbially-influenced limestone (stromatolite) that have been whipped up by storms. Such features are typical of tropical climes, in keeping with other evidence that Scotland was at low latitudes prior to the onset of glaciation. Picture credit: Graham Shields.

Picture credit: Graham Shields

The advance and retreat of the ice across the planet was thought to have happened relatively quickly, over thousands of years, because of the albedo effect – that is, the more ice there is, the more sunlight is reflected back into space, and vice versa. After these periods of intense cold, complex life emerged rapidly (in geological terms).  It has been suggested that the extreme conditions on Earth may have prompted the emergence of altruism, with single-celled organisms learning to co-operate with each other, thus forming multicellular life.

Islands provide evidence of "Snowball Earth".

Standing on limestone beds of the pre-glacial Garvellach Formation, looking North from Garbh Eileach over to Dun Chonnuil. Due to tectonic tilting, the sedimentary layers get younger, and closer to the onset of glaciation, as you move to the right. Picture credit: Elias Rugen.

Picture credit: Elias Rugen

The End of “Snowball Earth” was Catastrophic

The dramatic change in climate was catastrophic for life on Earth.

Professor Shields explained:

“The retreat of the ice would have been catastrophic. Life had been used to tens of millions of years of deep freeze. As soon as the world warmed up, all of life would have had to compete in an arms race to adapt. Whatever survived were the ancestors of all animals.”

For this new research, the field team collected samples of sandstone from the 1.1-kilometre-thick Port Askaig Formation and compared them to the older seventy-metre-thick underlying Garbh Eileach Formation.  The team examined tiny, extremely durable minerals in the rock called zircons. These can be precisely dated as they contain the radioactive element uranium, which decays to lead at a steady rate. The zircons together with other geochemical evidence suggest the rocks were deposited between 662 and 720 million years ago.

Anthony (Tony) Spencer standing on the Garbh Eileach Formation.

Anthony (Tony) Spencer standing on the Garbh Eileach Formation. The rocks record a gradual transition from the warm tropical world of the Tonian period into the snowball Earth of the Cryogenian period. Tony first recognised the significance of these rocks over 50 years ago during his PhD. Picture credit: Elias Rugen.

Picture credit: Elias Rugen

Defining the Time Constraints for the Cryogenian Period

The scientists propose that the new age constraints for the rocks may provide the evidence needed for the site to be declared as a marker for the start of the Cryogenian Period.  This marker, known as a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), is sometimes referred to as a golden spike, as a gold spike is driven into the rock to mark the boundary.  Scientists from the International Commission on Stratigraphy, a part of the International Union of Geological Sciences, visited the Garvellachs last month for a preliminary assessment to determine the significance of the geological formation.

"Snowball Earth" and Scottish/Irish islands.

An outcrop called “the Bubble” on Eileach an Naoimh (Holy Isle). It shows a huge white rock fragment, tens of metres across, which was originally part of the underlying rock sequence. The layering in the carbonate rock has been squeezed tightly under immense pressure and transported by thick ice sheets to its final resting as one of many different rock fragments within a moraine. Picture credit: Graham Shields.

Picture credit: Graham Shields

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University College London in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “Glacially influenced provenance and Sturtian affinity revealed by detrital zircon U–Pb ages from sandstones in the Port Askaig Formation, Dalradian Supergroup” by Elias J. Rugen, Guido Pastore, Pieter Vermeesch, Anthony M. Spencer, David Webster, Adam G. G. Smith, Andrew Carter, and Graham A. Shields published in the Journal of the Geological Society.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Dinosaur Toys.

10 06, 2024

Crystal Palace Dinosaurs Celebrate 170 Years!

By |2024-06-09T15:50:30+01:00June 10th, 2024|Dinosaur Fans, Geology, Main Page|0 Comments

The Crystal Palace dinosaurs exhibit was formally opened on this day in 1854.  The famous geological park located in south London, represents the world’s first prehistoric animal theme park. Today, we celebrate this remarkable Victorian era attraction.  Although frequently referred to as “Dinosaurs”, only four of the statues represent members of the Dinosauria.  Other statues represent, pterosaurs, marine reptiles, turtles as well as prehistoric mammals.

Iguanodons at Crystal Palace.

A pair of Iguanodons study the Crystal Palace landscape. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture (above) shows the pair of Iguanodons on display at Crystal Palace.  Over the last two decades or so, these beautiful and scientifically important figures have been the subject of extensive conservation efforts.  In 2007, the statues were assigned Grade I listed monument status.  This is the most important rating for a monument under Historic England’s National Heritage List.  This status is reserved for sites of international significance.

To read about the Grade I listed monument protection: World’s First Dinosaur Statues Get Grade I Listed Status.

The Crystal Palace Dinosaurs

There are around thirty palaeontological statues, along with five displays explaining geology. Most of the statues remain in their original positions. The statues were created by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins with the technical assistance of the famous anatomist Richard Owen. Joseph Paxton designed the landscape.  Fund raising efforts from the “Friends of the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs” continue today.

Everything Dinosaur expects that a major grant from the National Lottery will be allocated to the site, to permit the restoration work to continue.  This grant is expected to be announced later this year.

Crystal Palace dinosaurs and prehistoric animals.

Prehistoric animal figures at Crystal Palace, the world’s first “Jurassic Park”.  The park is commemorating the 170th anniversary of its opening.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Prehistoric Animal Models

Construction work continued at the park until 1855.  To help raise funds for the work, some prehistoric animal models were commissioned. These items were priced at £30 and were designed to be “educational”.  However, we now know that the dinosaur reconstructions were highly inaccurate.  Notwithstanding this, today we celebrate the 170th anniversary of the official opening of the world’s first prehistoric animal theme park.

Happy birthday Crystal Palace dinosaurs.

The award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Prehistoric Animal Models and Dinosaur Toys.

31 05, 2024

Unique Insight into an Ancient Late Triassic Landscape

By |2024-05-30T10:24:58+01:00May 31st, 2024|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Geology, Main Page, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

Researchers, including scientists from the University of Bristol have undertaken extensive fieldwork to determine the fauna of a Late Triassic landscape.  The excavation and study of hundreds of microvertebrate fossils from Lavernock Point (close to Cardiff and Penarth), has enabled the research team to construct a picture of the palaeoenvironment of South Wales around 200 million years ago.

A Terrestrial Environment Close to a Tropical Sea

Dinosaurs and other tetrapods lived on a tropical lowland beside the sea.  Dinosaur trackways are known from Barry and other sites close to Lavernock Point.  These trace fossils and the recent discovery of dinosaur bones has helped shed light on the history of dinosaurs in Wales.

Evidence of dinosaurs in the Late Triassic landscape of Wales.

Evidence of dinosaurs in the Late Triassic landscape of South Wales. A tridactyl (three-toed) footprint, one of many trackways and prints associated with the Dinosauria known from South Wales. Picture credit: Cindy Howells at the National Museum of Wales.

A Late Triassic Landscape

The cliffs at Lavernock Point contain shales and limestone deposits that were laid down in a warm, tropical sea.  Bonebeds are found at several levels of the strata.  These locations contain the remains of fish including sharks, marine reptiles and occasionally dinosaurs.

Whilst most of the dinosaurs were small, when compared to their Jurassic descendants, recent marine reptile discoveries indicate that there were giants in the ecosystem.  For example, fossilised jawbones indicate the presence of enormous ichthyosaurs, some of which may have been the size of the largest extant whales.

To read a recent blog post about giant Triassic ichthyosaurs: Ichthyotitan A Colossus of the Late Triassic.

Owain Evans, a former student at Bristol University led the research.

He explained:

“The bone bed paints the picture of a tropical archipelago, which was subjected to frequent storms, that washed material from around the surrounding area, both in land and out at sea, into a tidal zone. This means that from just one fossil horizon, we can reconstruct a complex ecological system, with a diverse array of marine reptiles like ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and placodonts in the water, and dinosaurs on land.”

A life reconstruction of a pair of Ichthyotitan severnensis.

A giant pair of Ichthyotitan severnensis. Giant marine reptiles swam in the shallow seas surround a tropical archipelago.  Picture credit: Gabriel Ugueto.

The researcher added:

“I had visited the coast at Penarth all my life, growing up in Cardiff, but never noticed the fossils. Then, the more I read, the more amazing it became. Local geologists had been collecting bones since the 1870s, and most of these are in the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff.”

Continuing the Research Begun in the 19th Century

Cindy Howells, the Curator of Palaeontology at the National Museum of Wales (Cardiff) highlighted the significance of the fossil discoveries at Lavernock Point.  The strata and the fossils contained therein have been studied since the 19th century.

Cindy commented:

“The presence of dinosaur fossils at the site ensure that it remains one of the most significant localities for palaeontology in Wales.”

Two Important Discoveries

Two significant discoveries were made by the research team during the fieldwork at Lavernock.  Firstly, an osteoderm from a placodont was discovered.  Placodonts were a type of marine reptile that thrived during the Triassic.  Secondly, a gular bone from the skull of a coelacanth was found.

Co-author of the scientific paper and the research supervisor Dr Chris Duffin explained:

“The remains of coelacanths and placodonts are relatively rare in the UK, which makes these finds even more remarkable. These two fossils alone help build a broader picture of what the Rhaetian in the UK would have looked like.”

Scale drawing of a Coelacanth. What is a Coelacanth?

A scale drawing of a Coelacanth.  The gular bone is located between the dentaries of primitive fish such as Coelacanths.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaurs of the Late Triassic Landscape

Professor Michael Benton from Bristol’s School of Earth Sciences, another co-author of the study added:

“The volume of dinosaur remains found at Lavernock is extremely exciting, and is a chance to study a complex, and often mysterious period in their evolutionary history. We have identified the remains of a large Plateosaurus like animal, along with several bones which likely belonged to a predatory theropod.”

This is exciting news, team members at Everything Dinosaur are looking forward to hearing more about these recent dinosaur fossil discoveries.  Perhaps, a new species of Welsh sauropodomorph will be described.

The majority of the study focuses on the abundant microfossils found in the cliffs.  These fossils include fish teeth, scales and bone fragments.  By studying thousands of fossils, the research team were able to identify the key species that lived in the tropical sea.  In addition, the team can estimate relative population densities.  This permits them to construct food webs and learn more about the fauna present in the Late Triassic landscape.  It is likely that more dinosaur fossil discoveries will be made in the future.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bristol in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “Microvertebrates from the basal Rhaetian Bone Bed (Late Triassic) at Lavernock, South Wales” by Owain Evans, Christopher J. Duffin, Claudia Hildebrandt, and Michael J. Benton published in the Proceedings of the Geologist’s Association.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Toys.

4 05, 2024

Spotting Jurassic Fossils During a Trip to London

By |2024-05-04T13:02:05+01:00May 4th, 2024|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Geology, Main Page, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

Team members at Everything Dinosaur spotted some Jurassic fossils whilst on a recent trip to London.  It might be surprising to learn that you can see fossils in our capital city, but you can if you know where to look.  You do not have to visit a museum to see fossilised remains of prehistoric animals.  Many of the buildings in London are made from Portland stone.  This limestone, famed for its quality is quarried in Dorset. Dorset is famous of having much of the “Jurassic Coast” within it.  Other famous buildings are also constructed from limestone. These rocks too, also contain lots of fossils of marine invertebrates.

The Victoria and Albert Museum, also known as the V&A is built from limestone.  The front facade and the low walls surrounding the building are full of Jurassic fossils.  They are easy to spot.

Jurassic fossils preserved in Portland stone.

The stones used to build the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A Museum) in London contain fossils. The stone is probably similar to Portland stone from Dorset (southern England). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Jurassic Fossils in London

The Museum was founded in 1852. Like many Victorian buildings in Britain, it was constructed from Jurassic limestone.  It is located in South Kensington, a short distance from the London Natural History Museum.

To read an article from Everything Dinosaur about fossil hunting in London: Fossil Hunting in London A Guide to Finding Fossils in the Capital.

These stones contain the fossilised remains of thousands of marine gastropods, brachiopods and bivalves.  These stones preserve a record of a devastating event.  An immense natural disaster such as a tropical storm or tsunami smashed a shallow marine habitat.  The shallow seascape took the full force of this natural disaster. The jumbled remains of the invertebrates can be clearly seen in the building stones.

The stones may also contain fragmentary remains of Jurassic ammonites.

Ammonite fossils (Dactylioceras).

A selection of ammonite fossils fragments of ammonites and other marine invertebrates can be found in stones used for building materials.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Visitors to London can find evidence of the destruction of an ancient marine ecosystem preserved in the buildings.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Dinosaur Models and Prehistoric Animal Toys.

29 04, 2024

Preparing the Beautiful Natural History Museum Evolution Garden

By |2024-04-29T22:21:21+01:00April 29th, 2024|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Geology, Main Page|0 Comments

Whilst in London, team members took the opportunity to check on the progress of the London Natural History Museum’s evolution garden.  The five-acre site around the main entrance is being converted into a series of gardens for visitors.  A significant portion of the land is being developed into an evolution garden.  It will lead visitors through five hundred million years of Earth’s history.

Natural History Museum Evolution garden

Tree ferns have been planted to mimic typical flora of the early Mesozoic. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Evolution Garden at the London Natural History Museum

The garden will tell the story of life on Earth. Visitors walking through the site will be taken on a journey from the Cambrian to recent times. The journey will plot evolution during the Phanerozoic Eon (visible life).  From the Cambrian explosion through to the evolution of terrestrial life and the amazing dinosaurs.  The landscape will gradually fill with plants, trees, reptiles, birds and mammals including placentals such as Homo sapiens.

A new weatherproof cast of the Natural History Museum’s much-loved Diplodocus will feature.  It will take centre stage in a Jurassic garden filled with tree ferns and cycads.

A Diplodocus dinosaur model.

Natural History Museum Diplodocus dinosaur model (Dippy).

The picture (above) shows a Diplodocus model from the Natural History Museum model series. This range is due to be retired.

To view the range of dinosaur and prehistoric animal figures in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Dinosaur Models and Prehistoric Animal Figures.

To Immerse Yourself in Nature

The plan is to provide a natural space for visitors as well as providing information on our planet’s history.  Raised ponds will be available to permit access for all to pond dipping activities.  There will be several paths and lots of seating.  Visitors can immerse themselves in nature.

Natural History Museum Evolution garden

The huge slate and limestone walls of the garden take visitors on a tour of deep geological time. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We took the opportunity to see how work was progressing on the evolution garden.  The construction workers had planted most of the tree ferns. There was still a lot of work to do such as laying out the paths and getting into place the tactile exhibits.”

Natural History Museum Evolution garden

Work continues on the Natural History Museum Evolution garden. The gardens should be open to the public in the summer (2024). Picture credit; Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Despite the poor weather, the site continues to be transformed.  The gardens are due to be opened in the summer (2024).  By helping to explain changes that have occurred on our planet in the past and how life responded, we can plan for the future.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Dinosaur Toys and Dinosaur Gifts.

3 04, 2024

Anthropocene Epoch Rejected as a Unit of Geological Time

By |2024-04-03T08:55:26+01:00April 3rd, 2024|Educational Activities, Geology, Main Page, Photos|0 Comments

The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) has voted to reject the Anthropocene Epoch as a unit of geological time.  Plans to introduce a new geological epoch based on the influence of humans on our planet have been shelved at a meeting of the IUGS.

Last month, a vote was held about the proposal to add the Anthropocene to the chronostratigraphic chart outlining the age of the Earth. This vote, undertaken by members of the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS) led to a rejection of the proposal. This committee’s decision has now been endorsed by the IUGS.

The influence of mankind on our planet - the Anthropocene Epoch.

The idea of naming a new geological epoch to mark the influence of mankind on the planet has been rejected. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Anthropocene Working Group (AWG)

In 2001 the atmospheric chemist, Paul Crutzen, proposed that the activity of mankind was impacting natural environmental conditions to the extent that we had effectively left the natural stable
conditions of the Holocene Epoch and moved into a new interval that he named the Anthropocene.  A committee was established in 2009 to examine this idea.  It was named the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG).  Their brief was to examine the evidence for human induced climate change as reflected in the geological record, and to determine whether a new geological epoch was justified.

The Anthropocene Epoch Rejected – The Full Statement

A statement was released by the IUGS:

“It is with the delegated authority of the IUGS President and Secretary General and on behalf of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) that the vote by the ICS Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS) to reject the proposal for an Anthropocene Epoch as a formal unit of the Geologic Time Scale is approved.”

Although the Anthropocene Epoch will not be appearing in textbooks anytime soon, these findings could be reviewed in a decade or so.  However, the IUGS did recognise the significance of this debate and highlighted the importance of recognising the impact of Homo sapiens on planet Earth.

The lengthy statement included the following:

“Despite its rejection as a formal unit of the Geologic Time Scale, Anthropocene will nevertheless continue to be used not only by Earth and environmental scientists, but also by social scientists, politicians and economists, as well as by the public at large. It will remain an invaluable descriptor of human impact on the Earth system.”

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

21 03, 2024

Rare Stigmaria Fossil Find from Anglesey

By |2024-03-22T12:00:23+00:00March 21st, 2024|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Geology, Main Page, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|2 Comments

In honour of the United Nations International Day of Forests (21st March 2024), we have posted up a fossil of a prehistoric plant. The photograph (below) shows a specimen of Stigmaria. The Stigmaria fossil was collected from Carboniferous rocks exposed on the island of Anglesey (Wales). Although relatively common fossils, the location from which this specimen was collected has only ever yielded a few examples. This was a fortuitous fossil discovery. Stigmaria fossils are rare at this location.

Stigmaria fossil specimen.
A specimen of Stigmaria from Anglesey (Wales). A fossil specimen of an underground root associated with a Carboniferous lycopsid. It was during the Carboniferous that the first extensive and specious diverse forests evolved. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Circular Scales on the Stigmaria Fossil

The circular scars on the root can be seen. These mark sites of attachment for the rooting structures that branched out helping to secure the lycopsid in the saturated soil and to obtain nutrients from the medium. Stigmaria does not represent a taxon as such. Plant fossils are normally found in isolation. Leaves, roots, bark and branches that actually represent the same genus have been given different scientific names.

Stimaria fossil.
Stigmaria fossil, the circular scales on the fossil can be seen. The scale bar equals 1 cm. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur explained that the first terrestrial plants evolved during the Silurian. It was during the Devonian that the first large land plants evolved. However, it was in the Carboniferous that extensive forests became a feature of our planet. Today, forests play a vital role in mitigating the impact of global warming. The Carboniferous forests too had a substantial impact on the planet’s atmosphere.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Prehistoric Themed Toys and Models.

2 02, 2024

Spotting an Ammonite Fossil at a Trade Fair

By |2024-02-06T22:05:42+00:00February 2nd, 2024|Educational Activities, Everything Dinosaur Products, Geology, Main Page, Photos/Pictures of Fossils, Press Releases|0 Comments

Team members at Everything Dinosaur recently visited the Spielwarenmesse trade fair in Germany. Many of the buildings in this part of Bavaria are constructed from limestone. The limestone dates from the Jurassic and is highly fossiliferous. Whilst walking between the halls of the Spielwarenmesse on our way to another meeting, we spotted an ammonite fossil in the stone floor,

Ammonite fossil in the stone floor on the site of the annual Spielwarenmesse trade fair.
On the floor of the Spielwarenmesse building fossils can be spotted. For example, this limestone slab has the remains of an ammonite clearly visible within it. The red arrow highlights the position of the ammonite fossil. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Looking for an Ammonite Fossil

Numerous fossils can be spotted entombed in the polished stone floors of the vast Messezentrum Nuremberg which hosts the international toy fair. Belemnites, bivalves and oyster shells are common. Ammonites tend to be a little rarer, but there are still plenty to see.

Ammonite model next to a fossil specimen.
A model of an ammonite (foreground) with a polished ammonite in the background. The strongly ribbed shell and the obvious keel of the ammonite replica. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture (above) shows a Bullyland ammonite replica in the foreground with a polished ammonite fossil behind it.

To view the Bullyland range of prehistoric animal models and figures: Bullyland Prehistoric Animal Replicas.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur explained that many municipal buildings in and around Nuremberg were built from limestone that contains lots of fossils. The sediments that went onto form the limestone were Upper Jurassic in age.

The spokesperson added:

“Nuremberg airport is famous for its fossils. It is always intriguing to see what we can spot in the floor tiles as we wait to board an aeroplane.

Visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

11 12, 2023

The Story of Earth’s Climate in 25 Discoveries

By |2023-12-12T10:13:13+00:00December 11th, 2023|Book Reviews, Educational Activities, Geology, Main Page, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

Delegates at COP28 continue their discussions on how to limit and make preparations for future climate change. These discussions, their success or failure will have consequences for all of humanity. Decisions made today will have implications for all future generations too. The publication of a new book that documents the history of our planet’s climate and its connection to life on Earth provides context and delivers a fresh perspective.

“The Story of Earth’s Climate in 25 Discoveries” is written by Donald R. Prothero. He is an incredibly talented American palaeontologist and geologist with a gift for communication. As adjunct professor of geological sciences at California State Polytechnic University (Pomona, California), the author is well qualified to explain the intimate connection between climate and life on Earth. However, unlike many scientists, Donald R. Prothero’s engaging writing style permits the general reader to understand and grasp sometimes difficult concepts.

Climate change book
The story of our planet’s climate in twenty-five discoveries by Donald R. Prothero.

Picture credit: Columbia University Press

Climate Change from a Deep Time Perspective

Our planet has undergone radical climate change throughout its history. Climate has changed dramatically from a “Snowball Earth” that led to a mass extinction event to sweltering jungles that stretched across the globe. Over deep geological time, climate has shaped the evolution of life on our planet. Furthermore, living organisms have shaped the Earth’s climate. We are not the first inhabitants to dramatically influence our planet’s climate. This new book documents these changes. It highlights how our climate has never changed so radically as it is changing now.

“The Story of Earth’s Climate in 25 Discoveries”

“The Story of Earth’s Climate in 25 Discoveries” takes the reader on a journey through Earth’s history. In this highly entertaining book, the author addresses questions such as Why do we have phytoplankton to thank for the air we breathe? What kind of climate was necessary for the rise of the dinosaurs, or the mammals, their successors? When and how have climatic changes caused mass extinctions?

Team members at Everything Dinosaur have enjoyed reading other books written by Donald R. Prothero. For example, we reviewed “The Story of the Dinosaurs in 25 Discoveries”.

Our review can be found here: A Review of “The Story of the Dinosaurs in 25 Discoveries.”

Today’s Climate Crisis

The author concludes this most informative publication with an examination of the Ice Ages and the Holocene Epoch. Our role in climate change is outlined and the perils we now face are explained.

Understanding why the climate has changed in the past, this timely book shows, is essential to grasping the gravity of how radically human activity is altering the climate today.

The Book Details

The Book: “The Story of Earth’s Climate in 25 Discoveries”

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published February 2024 | Price: £32.00/$38.00 USD (hardback) | Pages: 472

ISBN: 9780231203586

Visit the website of Columbia University Press: Columbia University Press. Search on the website for the author or title to find the book.

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