Scotland’s Mid Jurassic Heritage

The Isle of Skye is a beautiful island off Scotland’s rugged west coast, approximately 640 square miles of idyllic Scottish scenery, an island known for its Scottish heritage and tourism, so what does it have to do with the state of Wyoming in the American mid-west. The answer Jurassic dinosaurs.

Jurassic Dinosaurs

Well for a start, both places are sparsely populated and both areas have spectacular scenery and surprisingly the Isle of Skye has evidence of prehistoric animals that once roamed across the western USA.  The data gathered on this Scottish island’s dinosaurs is helping to provide information regarding the Jurassic fauna of Wyoming, in fact Skye is fast becoming recognised as a place of great interest to palaeontologists.  The same types of dinosaur roamed across Skye and Wyoming approximately 170 million years ago (Bajocian faunal stage), in a geological period known as the mid-Jurassic – but how is this possible?

During the Jurassic the American and European continents were very much closer together than they are today.  There was no Atlantic ocean (this did not begin to form until towards the end of the Jurassic period),  a series of rifts began to open up in the continental plates, separating the giant continent of Laurentia into the Americas and Eurasia.  However, that part of the world that was eventually to form the rocks in areas like Staffin Bay on the Isle of Skye was still joined to the North American continent.  A dinosaur could have walked from central Europe to Alaska had it had the mind to do so.

The Isle of Skye

The Isle of Skye’s importance to palaeontologists, particularly those studying the Middle Jurassic is enhanced by an article published in the current issue of the Scottish Journal of Geology.  The article suggests that fossil footprints found on Skye and others across the Atlantic in Wyoming were left by the same type of dinosaur – or at least a closely related species – dating back to the mid-Jurassic period, when Scotland and the United States were both part of the same landmass.

The authors of this study into the fossil trackways, Dr Neil Clark, the curator of palaeontology at Glasgow University’s Hunterian Museum, and Dr Michael Brett-Surman of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, state that the tracks found in rock formations in Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin are very similar to footprints found in the Valtos sandstone beds on the Isle of Skye.

The footprints have been classified as having been made by a Coelophysid, an agile Theropod dinosaur.  Coelophysids were the most common type of meat-eating dinosaur in the Late Triassic and survived into the Jurassic before finally being replaced by new types of theropod such as the megalosaurs.

An Illustration of a Coelophysid (Coelophysis)

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The illustration above shows a typical coelophysid, theropod, with its long neck, slender jaws lined with sharp, needle-like teeth.  The best-known of these dinosaurs is Coelophysis, a Triassic carnivore with its slender, muscular body, hollow bones (Coelophysis means “hollow form”) and long legs.  A number of articulated skeletons of this dinosaur are known, mostly recovered from the famous Ghost Ranch site in New Mexico.

Commenting on the link between Wyoming and the Isle of Skye, Dr Clark stated:

“The importance of this apparent link between Skye and Wyoming is that the Americans don’t actually have any dinosaur remains, apart from these footprints, from this particular period, the mid-Jurassic, whereas we have the bones of a number of different animals from that period here in Scotland.  So, basically, we’re enabling the Americans to see what sort of dinosaurs were probably roaming about North America at the same time”.

He added:

“The Americans do have the animal called Coelophysis, but their fossils of them are all from the Lower Jurassic or Upper Triassic periods, so they are a lot older than what we have in Skye, which is a representative of that group of dinosaurs which was still alive in the Middle Jurassic.  It seems to be associated with a particular type of footprint which also occurs in Wyoming at that particular time, so it’s quite possible they have a similar animal.”

While the footprints remain America’s only mid-Jurassic traces of the creature, Skye’s fossil beds from the same period have revealed a tooth and a tail bone, as well as the footprints.  Although most associated with the Ghost Ranch discoveries, it seems that the Isle of Skye can claim to have important evidence too, regarding the evolution of meat-eating dinosaurs.

A Rare Glimpse into Prehistoric Life

The island has afforded palaeontologists other rare glimpses into prehistoric life, footprints of a large ornithopod dinosaur were discovered in the 1980s along with more evidence of coelophysid dinosaurs (fossil bones) and a fragment of bone that is believed to have come from a sauropod (long-necked dinosaur).

Whilst the rock formations in the mid-western USA are vast and have a wealth of fossil information, the finds on Isle of Skye are somewhat limited, although this does not diminish their scientific importance.  The island’s Jurassic strata is overlaid by igneous material and the palaeontologists have only a few exposures to explore.  They are situated in places such as the exposed Trotternish peninsula where the rocks are weathered by harsh winds and strong tides.  It is often a battle with nature to find and preserve specimens before weathering destroys them for ever.

A Typical Sauropod of the Jurassic

An illustration of a typical sauropod from the Middle Jurassic (Cetiosaurus). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Isle of Skye may be a wild and rugged place, but it can hold its head up high when it comes to Jurassic dinosaur fossils, helping the likes of Wyoming to piece together its own ancient past.  Not bad considering that Wyoming is much more associated with dinosaurs than Scotland, after all, the state dinosaur (yes, they do have a state dinosaur), of Wyoming is Triceratops.

Everything Dinosaur stocks a huge range of dinosaur and prehistoric animal models including replicas of many Jurassic dinosaurs: Models of Jurassic Dinosaurs.

Latest news on Lyme Regis Landslide

Late on the evening of 6th May this year, there was a major landslide at the cliffs between Lyme Regis and the village of Charmouth, on the Dorset coast.  A section of cliff, approximately 400 metres long slipped and this led to the biggest landslide in the area for nearly 100 years.  Everything Dinosaur team members had been at that very spot just 24-hours before scouring the beach looking for fossils, they had commented on the excess water within some sections of the cliff and there was evidence of recent rock falls both on the Black Ven side of Lyme Regis and further to the west on Monmouth beach.

Despite the dangerous nature of the cliffs, we observed a number of tourists (after all it was the Bank Holiday weekend), venturing very close to the base of the cliffs, even one fool hardy group started to climb up a section a few hundred yards to the west of the Charmouth visitor centre.

The Dangerous Cliffs at Lyme Regis

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture above was taken at Monmouth beach in early May, evidence of a recent rock fall can clearly be seen.  The cliffs are extremely dangerous and they are best avoided, as the beach itself can provide plenty of opportunities to find fossils.  The soft mud and clay gets washed out of the cliffs and deposits fossils on the shoreline, so there is a constant supply of new fossils to find.  This is a much safer option, especially when you consider that after the landslide on the 6th May there were boulders the size of cars tumbling down onto the base of the cliffs.

Everything Dinosaur stocks a range of models representing iconic animals from the fossil record such as ammonites and belemnites: Replica Fossils and Models.

Lyme Regis Landslide

According to Brandon Lennon, a professional fossil collector, the landslip has cut Black Ven in half, from a fossil collector’s perspective the landslide affected the wrong section of cliff, if the Church Cliffs section closer to Lyme Regis had collapsed then many more vertebrate and invertebrate fossils would have been exposed.  It is highly likely that more ichthyosaur and plesiosaur remains would have been discovered with maybe one or two pterosaur fossils.

Unfortunately, the landslip laid bare the old town rubbish dump, and a lot of rubbish and debris has ended up on the beach.  The cliffs remain unstable and for a few days after the main landslide a number of smaller slips occurred, one of which was filmed by Brandon.

Good idea to go fossil collecting on a falling tide and to keep away from the steep cliffs.  Landslides are common and very dangerous.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To read more about the dangerous cliffs on the Dorset coast: Jurassic June Fossil Hunting Code.

Our thanks to Brandon for permission to link to this clip.

Collecting Fossils

Immediately, following the main landslide many local fossil collectors gathered in expectation of finding spectacular new Jurassic fossils, unfortunately, so far the results have been disappointing.

Brandon comments: “The odd vertebra has been found on a very low tide and this is the only safe time you can go out to the Black Ven.  There is a lot of broken glass all over the place and even big lumps of metal work, if the fall had occurred a few hundred feet nearer to Lyme Regis we would be finding just great stuff everywhere”!

Perhaps the safest way to explore the beaches at Lyme Regis is to go out with a professional fossil collector who will be able to guide you across the beaches and show you the best places to find fossils.  Local knowledge can be extremely useful and indeed if you want to get the most out of a trip to this part of the Dorset coast, a guided fossil work is a must.

Guided Fossil Walks

For instance, Brandon and his team have modified their guided fossil collecting trips in the light of the recent landslide.  At the moment he is leading trips to Monmouth beach to the west of Lyme Regis, taking in a visit to the world famous ammonite graveyard and to see the sunstone a little further beyond the Blue Lias Limestones at Seven Rocks Point towards Pinhay Bay.  This area has also suffered from rock falls recently.  The rough weather has led to the cliffs in this area becoming saturated and the landslip at Seven Rocks Point has moved forward a bit.  Under the guidance of a professional such as Brandon, tour parties are escorted to areas where scouting for fossils can be safely carried out.  Visitors also have the opportunity to view items that they themselves would not necessarily spot, for example, just beyond Seven Rocks Point the recent erosion has exposed a big Arietites sp. ammonite.  It is sticking out of the cliffs by a waterfall and will fall onto the beach in the near future.  Large Arietites are relatively rare although this genus of ammonite is very important to geologists as a number of species act as zonal fossils and assist with the process of biostratigraphy (fossils used to date the relative age of rock strata).

To book a guided fossil walk with Brandon, walks take place daily from Saturday to Tuesday, for most of the year: Lyme Regis Fossil Walks with Brandon Lennon.

Calls for State Legislation to Protect Fossils in British Columbia

British Columbia is proving to be a bit of a “hot spot” for dinosaur fossils at the moment.  This is partly due to the continuing efforts of commercial companies to discover new sources of fossil fuels and minerals as well as the efforts of local amateur palaeontologists.

Although this particular part of Canada is often overshadowed by their neighbours in Alberta with all the wonders of the Dinosaur Park Formation, the vastness of British Columbia probably hides a huge amount of new palaeontological data, just waiting to be found.

To read an article about a recent dinosaur discovery in B.C. Potential New Dinosaur Species from British Columbia.

The state has currently got one major dinosaur dig taking place in the north-east of the province.  The exact location is being kept a closely guarded secret, but hopes are high for finding plenty of museum quality dinosaur fossils, already some teeth and bones have been excavated and a number of different dinosaur species are represented at the site.

However, the palaeontology team are concerned about protecting the site from the attentions of amateurs and those intent on vandalising the rare and precious artefacts.

Local palaeontologist Lisa Buckley summed up the situation explaining:

“B.C is the only province in Canada that doesn’t have some sort of protective legislation, managing the protection and curation, and conservation and preservation of it’s natural history resources.”

In Alberta, for example it is illegal to remove fossils or other items from dig sites without the appropriate authority, in the USA, the Bureau of Land Management helps protect excavations.  In British Columbia there is no such legal protection, hence the need to keep the current dig site under wraps.  The palaeontologists involved with the dig, have commented that although amateurs find most of the fossils that lead to site excavations, at a palaeontology dig, even the best intentioned amateur could potentially destroy the rare resources.

Richard McCrae, the lead palaeontologist at the excavation shares his fear for the site’s stability: “We might find after we finish with this site, after we shut it down, we might find a few weeks later when we come check on it that someone has been here and has been digging it up.  And that would be too bad.”

The scientists are urging the state to create laws that will protect such sites of special scientific interest.  Ideally, the legislation would involve the granting of permits to excavate and credential checks on applicants.  They say it’s the only way to ensure that fossils found are properly preserved.

Work is being done in the province to develop a framework that will seek protection for fossils and other natural resources.  An announcement is expected in the next few weeks.  But McCrae doesn’t believe it will be enough.

“Until there is actual legislation in place, I don’t see anything else being an improvement to the current situation.”

Whilst the work of amateurs in helping to locate new sites is very important and their contribution to the advancement of science is recognised, legislation may be required to protect such excavations.  With the high prices rare fossils are fetching on the open market, it may be time to invest in some long-term planning and legal support to help protect British Columbia’s natural fossil resources.

For replicas of prehistoric animals from Canada and elsewhere in the world: Prehistoric Animal Models and Dinosaurs.

Devonian Fossil Fish Found in Scottish Quarry

A Scottish fish fossil that dates from the Devonian period has been unearthed in a disused flagstone quarry.  The fish which has been identified as belonging to the genus named Actinolepis had not been known from UK strata before this discovery.  Actinolepis was a placoderm (the name means “plated skins”).  Placoderms were a class of jawed fish, protected by dermal armour around the head and front of the body.  Originating sometime in the Ordovician, the group flourished throughout the Devonian but disappeared from the fossil record around 354 million years ago.  The placoderms were one of the classes of vertebrates that went extinct at the end of the Devonian period.

Placoderm Fish Fossil

The only other example of an Actinolepis was found in Devonian strata in Estonia, making this Scottish fossil an important discovery.

During the Devonian period (approximately 417-354 million years ago), the landmasses that were to become North America, Scandinavia and Europe were joined together.  The Eastern part of this super-continent was called Baltica, a mountain ridge had formed when continental plates had collided together (Laurentia colliding with Baltica to form a landmass called by many scientists – Euroamerica).  Water draining from these uplands formed a huge, freshwater lake in the low lying areas of barren land between the mountains and the sea.

Lake Orcadie

This lake is called Lake Orcadie and at its peak it covered the land now occupied by Shetland, the Orkney, Caithness, the Moray coast and across to Norway.  The lake seems to have existed for hundreds of thousands of years and during this time it went through a series of expansions and reductions in volume.

The lake contained a diverse variety of fish genera, with many of the fish being found as fossils in the quarry at Achanarras in Caithness, from which this new placoderm fossil was extracted.  The quarry is now managed by Scottish Natural Heritage, so far sixteen different types of prehistoric fish fossil have been found at the site, including agnathans (jawless fish).  It is not only fossil fish that makes this site so interesting fossils of many invertebrates that shared this watery world with the fish have also been found including fossils of eurypterids (sea-scorpions).

Professor Nigel Trewin

This latest discovery was officially unveiled by Aberdeen-based palaeontologist Nigel Trewin, who has been visiting the Achanarras quarry for more than 35 years. Professor Trewin, with colleague Mike Newman, has published details of this find in the Scottish Journal of Geology.

The actual fossil was found by an amateur collector, however, it was soon realised that this was an unusual and important find.  Professor Trewin believed the fish, which had large pectoral fins, would have been a bottom feeder. Commenting on the demise of the placoderms, he said: “I’m afraid there are no modern relatives of this one, unlike some of the other finds which have been made here.”

The placoderms are one group of vertebrates that died out, in what has become known as the Devonian mass extinction, a mass extinction event that devastated many marine families of fish, especially those that lived on tropical reefs.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view a 1:20 scale replica of a Dunkleosteus (placoderm) and models of other Palaeozoic creatures: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Life.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

New Cave Discovered in Israel provides insight into Prehistoric Life

Construction workers digging drainage and sewage pipes in the Jewish National Fund forest have discovered a large cave system containing many prehistoric artifacts.  The workers broke into the cave as they were constructing an underground pathway for a sewage pipe in the western Galilee forest.

Prehistoric Artifacts

Some of the larger chambers contain spectacular stalactites and stalagmites, formed as minerals such as calcite dissolved out of dripping water.  The word stalactite is actually derived from the Greek word “stalaktos” which means dripping.  Stalactites are tapering deposits of calcite that hang down from the roof of caves like icicles.  Stalagmites are formed from dripping water and form rising, tapering mounds that in many cases unit with stalactites to form spectacular columns.

To help remember the difference between these two calcite structures – “stalactites hold on tight to the ceiling, whereas stalagmites might one day join up with them.

Commenting on the potential of the cave system to provide evidence of life in prehistoric times, a spokesperson from the Israel Antiquities Authority stated that already a large amount of prehistoric material had been discovered.

“It seems that during the past 40-50 years no cave has been found with such a wealth of prehistoric finds and certainly not inside such a lovely stalactite cave”, claimed Dr. Ofer Marder, the head of the Prehistory Branch of the Israel Antiquities Authority, who examined the cave.

The cave system opens out into a number of large chambers, the largest measuring 60 x 80 metres, this is approximately four times the width and three times the length of a basketball court.  Soil and other debris has fallen or been washed into the cave from the surface and a large number of flint tools used by early settlers have been found along with the bones of a variety of animals that are no longer indigenous to the area.  Bones of red deer, fallow deer, buffalo and the remains of bears have been found.

Ursus spelaeus

The remains of the bears are particularly interesting, as the cave deposits have been dated from between 40,000 years to 10,000 years ago.  The bones could have come from Brown bears (Ursus arctus) or possibly the larger Cave bear (Ursus spelaeus).  These large animals, some of which may have weighed up to 1 Tonne and had a height of over 2 metres at the shoulder, evolved around 300,000 years ago and survived to about 40,000 years ago, making any evidence found in the Israeli cave some of the last traces left by these huge omnivores.  Further work is required to confirm the presence of Cave bear remains, these bears were about 35% bigger than Brown bears, had fewer teeth in the jaws, skulls with a distinctive slope and their limbs were proportioned differently.

A Model of Ursus spelaeus (Cave Bear)

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture above is a model of a Cave bear from the Schleich Prehistoric Mammal model collection a series of 1:20 scale models of mammals from the Pleistocene epoch.

To view the model range available from: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models.

Statement Released

In a statement released by the Israel Antiquities Authority they claim that preliminary studies indicate that the remains in the cave date from the Upper Palaeolithic period, otherwise known as the Late Stone Age.  This period dates from 40,000 years ago to approximately 10,000 years ago, the beginning of the Holocene a period in Earth’s history of dramatic climate change, increasing human populations and the start of sedentary agriculture.

The cave has been sealed and its exact location kept secret but further research is planned permitting a more accurate date to be placed on some of the finds and the cave system to be properly explored.