Museums: Hessiches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt

This museum in Darmstadt, Germany, varies in its collections. We were only interested in their Palaeontological collection, although we did have a look at the zoological displays also. So, lets take a look at some photographs from the museum. Again, not much to say, but plenty to look at.

This is what greets you when you enter the geology and palaeontology gallery, an American Mastodon. 

Side view of the American Mastodon skeleton.

Part of the palaeontological collection also includes fossils from the Pleistocene of the area. This is the giant Irish Elk, Megaloceros.

This is the skull of the primitive proboscidean, Deinotherium. This elephant ancestor is easily identified by the short tusks that protrude from the lower jaw.

The complete skeleton of the early horse from the Messel Grube pit, Propalaeotherium. There is an example of this horse that is pregnant. The pale slab that the fossil is displayed on is the resin used in the transfer method mentioned in my Messel Grube post.

This is just one of many examples of the fossil fish that have been found in the Messel pit. My class was very fortunate to discover two of these gar pikes.

One of the rarer bird fossils found at Messel. This is an Eocene Ibis.

The more common bird is Messelornis.

Messel was also home to a diverse population of crocodiles, varying in size and orientations. This particular specimen was preserved in three dimensions, coming to rest on the bottom of the lake on its side.

This is the exceptionally well preserved skull of a larger genus of crocodile from the Messel pit.

The diverse reptile fauna also included snakes of various sizes. This was one of the largest on display.

Messel Grube Pit

The first visit while I was in Germany was to the Messel Grube UNESCO World Heritage Site, near the town of Darmstadt. The strata within the quarry itself is of Eocene age, approximately 47 Ma. This was a period in time when the earth was experiencing temperatures much higher than today. At the time of deposition, the Messel Grube area was a lake environment with a diverse fauna of fish, reptiles and mammals, the latter of which were washed into the lake to be preserved under anoxic conditions. The area is believed to be volcanically active, periodically releasing poisonous gases into the waters and nearby forests.

The pit was originally dug for the exploitation of hydrocarbons, with the discovery of brown coal and bituminous shales, when handling the rock you find that you are quickly covered from head to toe in oil. Once the pit had become disused the local government used it as a landfill site for local industries. After a lengthy campaign from the local community, the site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its diverse palaeontology. On the plus side, the rubbish that was placed in the pit is now a perfect habitat for a population of bats.

There are only two museums that are allowed to dig in this quarry, Darmstadt and Senckenberg (Frankfurt). We were fortunate enough to be allowed in under supervision to excavate some fossils.

The fossils here are incredibly delicate. The nature of the oil shale means that once exposed to air it begins to dry rapidly, in the process the rock, and subsequently the fossil, begin to curl up. This led to the development of the transfer technique, this is where the fossil is taken and placed in resin then the rock is removed in the lab to reveal the fossil.

When we arrived, we set about removing the overburden to reveal the shale. This had been put there to keep the rock moist. We then used wedges and the spades to break the rock into large slabs and moved them away from the excavation site to be split further. The rock itself was soft enough to split with a large knife.

Getting to work removing the overburden to expose the oil shale and find exceptionally preserved Eocene fossils.

Our finds included, several bowfin fish (Cyclurus), a number of gar pikes and even a bird wing. By far the most common find was coprolite (fossilised faeces). The gars and bird wing was quickly taken away to be treated in order to be preserved.

After this we went on to visit the Darmstadt Museum to see the true diversity of the Messel Pit. I will show some of these fossils in my museum series.

Museums: Hauff Museum, Holzmaden

In this series I would like to share photographs of fossils and exhibitions from museums that I have visited. There won't be a lot to say about them so this will be mainly photographs of what I thought was pretty outstanding.

This post features some photographs taken in the Hauff Museum at Holzmaden. It is devoted to the palaeontology of the Posidonia Schieffer and exhibits a range of fantastic fossils, including invertebrates, marine reptiles, fish and pterosaurs. Enjoy.

The Hauff Museum featured a stepped profile of the stratigraphy through the Posidonia Schieffer. Each bedding surface featured a different fossil groups. You can see a marine crocodile (Steneosaurus) in the middle. It also featured plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs.

An example of the most common fossils found in the Posidonia Schieffer; ammonites. These ammonites vary in size from a centimetre in diameter to around 40 centimetres (that we saw). 

This particular bedding surface exhibits the most spectacular of the fossils found in the shale. The long dark fossil is a piece of driftwood. Attached to it are crinoids (sea lillies). The wood along with the crinoids would have floated in the water column until the weight of the crinoids and bivalves became too much and the wood sank and became buried in the soupy sea floor.

This is a rather complete fossil of a hybodont shark. These sharks are easily recognisable from their fin spines that precedes their dorsal fins. The cause of death for this particular shark is believed to be that of greed. The palaeontologists here believe that this shark ate too many belemnites including the guards, which caused it to increase its weight, eventually the shark became to float and subsequently died. The belemnite guards are still in the stomach of the shark.

This is the fossil of one of the largest Ichthyosaurs. This is Temnodontosaurus, fossils of this are found throughout Europe, a skull is on display at the Charmouth Fossil Shop that was found in the Blue Lias. This animal would have been the top predator of the Jurassic seas. Sir David Attenborough's recent documentary on an Ichthyosaur from Lyme Regis is evidence that Temnodontosaurus hunted smaller Ichthyosaurs.

This is by far the most impressive specimen in the museum. This is an 18m long piece of driftwood that has been colonised by crinoids and bivalves. This makes visiting the museum well worth it.

Ichthyosaur Preparation Diary #1

BEFORE: The underside is the side
 that I will be preparing from, 
far too much rock
for a small drill to get through.

The first major work that needed doing to the Ichthyosaur was that it needed cutting down to size. The blocks were very thick and very heavy. Plus, I plan on mechanically preparing the bones by going from what looks to be the bottom. This is because the bones are exposed on the top surface, great for spotting them in the field, not so good for their preservation. Some of the vertebrae in the long block are badly worn but going from the other side will reveal them at their best.

The round block was easy enough to split. The stratification was completely parallel to the bedding surface and split like a dream. On the underside, there are another three rather large vertebrae waiting to be revealed.

AFTER: The thickness of the rock has been greatly reduced,
making it easier for the drill to get to the better preserved side
of the bones.

The long block didn't want to play as nicely. The position of some of the bones had created cylindrical structures which split vertically rather than horizontally. Unfortunately, it broke into three pieces, not beyond repair but something that would have been better avoided.

Next step was gluing the off cuts, and now broken pieces back onto the main blocks so that the bones were complete when they are prepared out. Again the round block went back together with little to no fuss. One piece was guided in by a handy belemnite that had broken in two and stuck to either piece of shale. The long block was proving difficult again. The larger of the broken pieces was thicker than the main block and so the other end is being propped up to stop it snapping again. The rest was repaired with no problem, another three vertebrae added to this block with numerous ribs completed.

Block 1 after the repairs. The glued piece at
bottom of the picture is the large broken piece.
The glued slab on the right of the block has
three more vertebrae in it and numerous ribs, it
also completes a number of vertebrae along the
glued line.

Block 2 much more neatly glued and split with
the three large vertebrae revealed in the centre.
There is also potentially a fourth near the
tape measure but we will have to wait and see.

BEFORE: The small odd piece that doesn't fit
anywhere

But there is one piece that just does not fit anywhere. A shame but in this small piece of shale there are two vertebrae, at different angles. One appears to be squashed anterio-ventrally and the other is half complete. But once prepared it'll make a nice display piece.

Although the epoxy glue looks unsightly, I have smeared it onto the side that will be face down when it comes to preparation so this will not be seen.

AFTER: The small odd piece after splitting, this brings
the bone closer to the surface. The first vertebra is
clearly seen in cross section here.

The second vertebra is harder to see, it is in the centre of
the rock in side view, the lip around the centrum is rather
prominent.

Dotternhausen and the Posidonia Schieffer

While on my third year residential fieldtrip to Southern Germany we visited to early Jurassic strata known as the Posidonia schieffer (shale). The rock here is somewhat akin to the Blue Lias of Lyme Regis and Charmouth, however the rock here is much more uniform and does not feature Milankovitch Cycles. This particular outcrop was in a quarry just outside Dotternhausen.

Everyone hard at work counting ammonites, you can see the
enthusiasm in the picture.

The shale was deposited under anoxic marine conditions, the sea floor would have been a soupy mud that supported no benthic fauna. This is perfect for exceptional preservation. Ammonites, crinoids, ichthyosaurs, pterosaurs, sharks and fish all would fall into this mud and sink. Due to the lack of oxygen aerobic bacteria would not be present and therefore decay would be inhibited. This leads to the preservation and discovery of fossil logs with crinoids attached and ichthyosaurs with skin outlines and embryos in the womb, just to name some examples.

The morning was spent at the Werkforum Museum at the cement works in Dotternhausen. Here we got a brief background to the fossils found in the quarry and what the environment would have been like 185 Ma.

So while visiting the Dotternhausen Quarry it was to be expected that as a cohort of 20 students we should find something between us.

Dactylioceras in one of many sheets of split shale.

Phylloceras from yet another sheet of shale.

Our first task was to collect and tabulate the number of ammonites with epibionts living on them. Myself and three of my close colleagues set to work splitting shale "sheets" and counting every ammonite in sight. Here I had my first find, a beautifully preserved fish fin, encircled by the disarticulated 'horseshore' structure of a Lytoceras ammonite.

The well preserved fish fin with the Lytoceras horseshoe
in the top of the picture.

I would have been happy to come away from the entire field trip with just this one find. But a few layers down, I come across a very small bone, about a centimetre or so in diameter. What we know is this is an Ichthyosaur vertebra. What we believe is that it is a tail vertebra of a juvenile because of how small it is. Unfortunately this was an isolated bone. Fortunately, it doesn't need any mechanical preparation as it is already well presented on the slab of shale it came from. Already I have had more success here in an hour than I have in three years of fossil hunting across numerous sites on the south coast of England.

The small tail vertebra from the ammonite exercise.

The small Ichthyosaur vertebra, in need of a
little treatment to protect it.

An hour or two after we arrived to the quarry we had all just about finished the exercise, and not a moment too soon with the day only getting hotter and hotter! And so, true to form with this class, we enthusiastically scrabbled over freshly blasted rock from the quarry wall in search of the fossils we had seen in the museum that morning.

I chose to split larger blocks bit by bit in the hope that there would be a bone or two preserved inside. A few blocks in, I start on one particular piece and put it on its side and begin hammering. It split a little too easy and at an odd angle, revealing a line of bones in the piece that had come away. Turning it over, I found that there was a line of vertebrae, criss-crossed by slender ribs. This was a disarticulated Ichthyosaur. Just on this block there was around 15 vertebrae. Definitely not complete but certainly exciting to find! It took three of us to move this block out so that the rest of the class could see what had been found.

The first block to be found in the quarry, with
some of the offcuts to the right.

The two main blocks and offcuts that we
managed to find and bring back to the
UK for preparation.

Meanwhile, the search continued for the rest of the animal. After shifting some rock, another block with a single vertebra and some definition of ribs was found. Still not complete but unfortunately there was no more of the Ichthyosaur to find. At first, I thought that the museum, or at least the cement works, would want this find for themselves. Some quarry owners in the UK confiscate fossils and sell them as profit, I assumed this was the same here. But, I was told that I would be allowed to keep them and bring them back to the UK to prepare the bones myself.

Side view of one offcut that thankfully fits back onto the
rounded block quite nicely

The two blocks are jam packed with bones, still not complete unfortunately. I believe that the centre of the skeleton is preserved, the tail and head unfortunately missing, possibly eaten by a much larger Ichthyosaur.

There's always one piece left over, no idea how this fits onto
either block. But it'll still make a nice addition to my collection.

I spoke to Professor Dave Martill about why the bones are scattered in the block as opposed to being articulated like the specimens we have seen before. He said that this is probably due to the final resting position of the animal in the Jurassic. It may well have come to rest on its ventral side and not be completely buried in the sediment, therefore decay would have taken place. Therefore you know have vertebrae that are elevated above the sediment and becoming loose due to the decay process. They will begin to fall out and land on the sediment in seemingly more random orientations. The same is true for the ribs.

The local museum has very kindly allowed me to use their equipment to prepare this find. Work will begin on the 27th June. I plan to upload nightly on the progress of the day even if it is just a photograph of what has been revealed so far. Needless to say, I'm very excited!

Lyme Regis (and a passing visit to Charmouth)

In this second part to the Dorset Fieldwork I will show you all the world famous Lyme Regis Lias outcrops. These were incredibly interesting both geologically and palaeontologically. Our trip leader, Professor David Martill found something very exciting when making our way back to the coach.

We visited the beach to the west of the town of Lyme Regis, Monmouth Beach.

Lyme Regis (with a quick stop at Charmouth):

Map of West Dorset showing the location of Monmouth Beach.
(Source: Google Maps)

The alternating succession of shales and argillaceous
limestones at Monmouth Beach. (Source:
https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-5416676-stock-
footage-the-blue-lias-beds-and-limestone-pavement-on-
monmouth-beach-cliffs-lyme-regis-on-the-jurassic.html)

The limestone ammonite pavement, or ammonite
graveyard. (Source: https://chandlerscottage.co.uk/1
125x750-lyme-regis-0772/)

In the morning after a rather lengthy drive from Swanage, we arrived in Charmouth. Although we didn't actually go onto the beach to see the cliffs up close, we got a pretty good view of the geology. I have also visited this site a number of times and will post the fossils I found in my collection series.

When standing at the Charmouth Heritage Centre, if you were to look to the west towards Lyme Regis those dark clay cliffs are called Black Ven. To the east you have Stonebarrow and the Golden Cap.

Charmouth is a Jurassic succession being deposited during the Sinnemurian to Pliensbachian ages of the lower Jurassic, approximately 190 Ma.

Black Ven is highly fossiliferous with ammonites being the most common fossil you will find. If you are very lucky you can also find crinoids, Ichthyosaur and Plesiosaur remains. A complete dinosaur, Scelidosaurus, has also been found here and is on display in the Charmouth Heritage Centre. Another must see is in the fossil shop, where they have on display a large Temnodontosaurus skull.

This is also one of the sites that Mary Anning collected from, finding marine reptiles and the pterosaur, Dimorphodon macronyx, later described by Sir Richard Owen.

After this brief talk we then drove a bit further west into Lyme Regis and walked down onto Monmouth Beach. Here you will notice, similar to Kimmeridge Bay, a repeating pattern in the cliffs between shales and argillaceous limestones, another example of Milankovitch Cyclicity.

But the really interesting thing to see here is in the wave cut platform that is formed by one of these bands of limestone. It is covered in hundreds of ammonites, the majority are of the genus Coroniceras. This was a single event where all of these ammonites died at the same time, this was gradual, possibly they returned to the same site seasonally. Ammonites won't be the only fossil you find here, you can also spot nautiloids, crinoids and gastropods. A complete Plesiosaur was even found in the pavement some years back.

If you wet the limestone around an ammonite you will find dark marks in the rock. These are fossilised burrows. Some are branching 'Y' shapes, this is formed by a shrimp, the name given to these burrows is Thalassinoides. Others will be two circles next to each other (Diplocraterion), straight burrows (Planolites), and some very fine burrows. These very small burrows are called Chondrites and show that the water had become anoxic for a period.

On the walk to the next locality, Professor Andy Gale found a large nautilus, preserved in three dimensions, a very nice find indeed. It was picked up by a course mate on the way back to the coach.

The next site was geologically of interest. This was the boundary between the limestone dominated White Lias, to the shale of the Blue Lias. The interesting part is, lithologically speaking the boundary is very clear, you can see a pale limestone become a dark shale. You would be forgiven for thinking that this is simply the boundary between the Rhaetian of the Triassic and the Hettangian of the Jurassic.

But to date the rock to confirm this is very difficult. The use of lavas of similar ages are regularly used to radiometrically date rock, however, there are no lavas to use. So dating could be done with the fossils, using relative dating. The change in the ammonites present between the White and Blue Lias represents a biological boundary. This is higher in the succession than the lithological boundary.

On the way back, Professor Dave Martill came across some Ichthyosaur remains in a limestone band of the Blue Lias. Unfortunately I did not see it but there was enough articulated material to warrant him going back to recover it.

Kimmeridge Bay and Etches' Collection

In this series I want to share three residential fieldtrips that I went on during my time at University. In these I will discuss the geology and palaeontology of the site and also if anything interesting was found. I won't be discussing every site we visited either because there were a lot of small ones or there just isn't too much to say about a particular site. Any information has come directly from my notes made in the field.

At the start of the second year we spent a week based in Swanage, Dorset. Here we were being trained to construct accurate geological maps of the coastline between Bat's Head and Mupe Bay, this included the world famous Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. We also had the chance to visit a number of sites that yield some particularly interesting fossils.

Unfortunately I haven't got any photographs of the localities (any photographs will be credited in the caption). The finds were a little scarce, I managed to collect an echinoid spine, bivalve and Perisphinctid ammonite from Black Head, near Osmington Mills (I'll photograph these for when I do a piece on my collection). There was a single fragment of dinosaur bone found in an outcrop of the Wessex Formation at Dungy Head and some large ammonite fragments from the uplifted Kimmeridge Clay at the same locality. Also 2 Lepidotes scales were found in a mudslide in the Wessex Formation at Lulworth Cove.

Kimmeridge Bay and the Etches Collection:

Map of East Dorset showing the location of Kimmeridge Bay (Source: Google Maps)

The wave cut platform at Kimmeridge Bay showing the
 localised thrust structures, these are found in the east
of the bay where the cliff debris and beach material has been
removed. (Source:
https://www.geoexpro.com/articles/2009/06/
where-does-it-all-come-from)

The first visit of this fieldtrip was Kimmeridge Bay. This is a Jurassic locality, dating back to the Kimmeridgian age of the Late Jurassic (~157 to 152 Ma). Unfortunately the only fossils that were found here were flattened and very delicate ammonites, what was more interesting was the sedimentology.

View of the cliff at Kimmeridge Bay. The anticline peaks at
this point in the succession, making it suitable for hydrocarbon
exploitation. (Source:
http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/kimmeridge_fossils.htm)

When visiting Kimmeridge Bay you will notice immediately that there are two types of bed. One that is a dark bluish colour and another that is a rusty orange colour. The blue rock is a friable clay and the orange rock is a clay that has been cemented with calcium carbonate. This alternation is caused by Milankovitch Cyclicity. In essence this the variations in environmental and/or astronomical conditions that causes a repeating succession of rock.

At the top of the cliff you will see that one of these beds is very prominent (middle right), making it a useful marker bed when constructing field sketches and making observations. If you follow this marker bed with your eyes to the west of the bay you will notice that it drops down (roughly where the MOD flag is at the top of the cliff). This is a fault, a weakness in the rock caused by the upwards thrusting of the Kimmeridge Clay within the bay itself. The structure that this marker bed highlights is called an anticline, a gentle fold in the rock.

The Etches Collection Museum, well worth a visit to
appreciate the magnificent finds that Steve Etches has
collected himself. (Source: http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2017/06/
from-beach-to-museum/)

In the west of the bay there is a wave cut platform made of a pale rock (above right). This platform is covered in raised structures, these are localised thrusts. This was caused by expansion. At the time of deposition of this particular bed the waters had an elevated level of magnesium, this reacted with the calcium carbonate in the rock thus forming dolomite. The rock now has now increased its volume by 10%, forcing it to fracture and overlap itself.

Kimmeridge Bay is not only known for its exceptional fossil and geological record but it is also a source of hydrocarbons. The Kimmeridge Well has been pumping oil since the 1950's and continues to this day. The Kimmeridge Clay is not the rock that is producing the oil however, the oil is coming up in fractures in the underlying Oxford Clay, however this is not the source. Although, the source of the oil is not completely clear it is likely to be migrating from the Blue Lias (the rock that outcrops at Lyme Regis and Charmouth to the West). The reservoir does not appear to be slowing down on production, hinting that maybe it is being replenished by a source deeper than the Lias.

The presence of hydrocarbons aids us in the palaeoenvironmental analysis of the area. Oil forms when organic matter is preserved and broken down by anaerobic bacteria, after diagenesis this becomes Kerogen, another process, catagenesis, turns this into oil. Should temperature and pressure continue to increase a process called metagenesis will take place forming gas.

We also had the privilege of viewing the private collection of Steve Etches before it was taken to his new museum in the village of Kimmeridge (below right). Etches is a local fossil hunter who has tirelessly devoted himself to finding Kimmeridge fossils. He has found everything, from a set of giant pliosaur jaws to complete Ichthyosaurs and Pterosaurs, even dinosaur bones from large sauropods that would have been washed out to sea during the Jurassic. His collection is something to be marvelled at, words cannot justify the significance of his finds. The Etches Collection Museum is now open and I highly recommend a visit if fossils are an interest.

Palaeoart: Leedsichthys

Today I've got two pieces of artwork from the same artist and of the same subject. The Jurassic leviathan, Leedsichthys problematicus. The artist is the great Robert Nicholls, the artist of the Ichthyosaur piece that I shared yesterday. I think we can agree that Nicholls is a fantastic artist who really does these animals justice when he brings them back to life in his artwork.

The Leedsichthys is a prehistoric fish of the family pachycormidae, an extinct group of ray finned fish. The animal is known in the Jurassic deposits in the Peterborough area where thousands of fossils have been found in the Oxford Clay quarries. The first was found by local Palaeontologist and farmer, Alfred Leeds, the man the fish is named after. However, in 2002, students from the University of Portsmouth found more remains, a team led by palaeontologists Dr Jeff Liston and Dr Dave Martill uncovered over a thousand bones, making it the most complete specimen to be found despite only finding a small proportion of the animal. Size estimates are around 11 to 14 metres (37 to 49 feet). 

This first piece shows a lone Leedsichthys with an Ichthyosaur in the background. This gives us a nice sense of scale, although the Ichthyosaur is in the background it is clear to see that it is dwarfed by the fish. This raises an interesting question, would smaller animals follow giants like this as a form of protection? Another thing I like about this piece is Nicholls' choice of colouration for the Leedsichthys, a dark dorsal surface and white underneath. This is very similar to the colouration of modern sea animals including Great White Sharks. The sharks of today are coloured as such so that from above they are camoflaged with the murky depths and from beneath they blend in with the bright surface of the water, this makes it more difficult for prey to spot the incoming predator. But Leedsichthys was not a predator, it was a filter feeder like the Whale and Basking sharks of today, this is shown by the giant gape of the fish's mouth which is collecting tiny plankton. The reason for the a peaceful giant like Leedsichthys to be coloured this way is for its own protection, a predator would have difficulty making out the outline of the fish from above or below, making a successful attack more risky.

The seond piece I've chosen is another lone Leedsichthys in the Jurassic Ocean by Robert Nicholls. This time rather than being accompanied by an Ichthyosaur, there is a group of smaller fish surrounding the giant, the species is possibly Caturus. This is interesting as it shows the vast range in size between the two types of fish, which helps to visualise the length of this gentle giant. As with the last piece, it appears that smaller animals are staying close to the Leedsichthys for protection from predators. This behaviour can be seen in fish today that surround Whale Sharks.

Overall, both artworks are impressive in the way they show us the scale of this fascinating fish. If you want to read more about this wonder, then pay a visit to the new website created by a team at Peterborough Museum, the link will be left below.

www.bigjurassicfish.com

When out fossil hunting...

So I thought I would do a post about things to remember when out and about doing your own fossil hunts, hopefully you'll find it helpful!

Do your research: This is a very important thing to do before even deciding to go on a fossil hunt. There are many helpful websites that can point you in the right direction. Firstly decide what it is that you actually want to find, i.e. ammonites, mammal remains, microfossils etc. This will help to narrow down the locations that you can hunt at. For instance if I wanted to find dinosaur bone, my best bet would to be to head to the Isle of Wight or Hastings which both have good outcrops of the Wessex Formation.

Once you've decided on what fossils you're most interested in finding you can decide on a specific location. Don't forget to take into account things like parking, accessibility to the site and whether you are taking children as it would not be best to take children to the more dangerous locations. Many people in England will visit Charmouth or Lyme Regis due to its fame and the number of fossils available to collect.

This brings us nicely on to the next bit of research you need to do, is the site protected and do you need special permissions? All along the Jurassic Coast from East Devon throughout Dorset you'll find that the coastline has SSSI status. This is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, in a nutshell this means that there must be no damage to or digging in the bedrock and cliffs, this is to help preserve the unique fossil collection and delicate geology. If you find something substantial in situ then it is important that you notify someone, preferably a local palaeontologist, and don't attempt to remove it as you need special permits to do this. However, collecting fossils that are loose on the beach in the SSSIs is perfectly acceptable. It is also important to note that certain fossils may also be protected, for instance, the dinosaur footprints on the Isle of Wight are protected by law and it is a crime to attempt to remove them from the beach.

It is best to check the weather before you go as well, if you're brave enough to go out in the wind and rain then chances of finding something are better as the fossils are washed out of the rock. If visiting a coastal area it is imperative that you make a note of the tide times so that you are not cut off by the tides, this can be a real hazard. It is best to visit after a spring tide or during a neap tide as this will improve your chances as well.

Above: Flat Pavlovia rotunda in situ at Chapmans Pool
with foot for scale

 Be prepared: If you are planning to stay out hunting all day then ensure that you have plenty of water, especially if you are planning on walking a long way. Take plenty of food as well so that you keep your energy levels up. If it is going to be particularly hot, take sun screen and a hat to prevent overheating and sunburn.

If you want to collect potentially delicate specimens then take some kind of packaging, newspaper or bubblewrap is suitable, or little pots for smaller fossils. You may also want to invest in a geological hammer or lump hammer to crack open nodules to see if there is a fossil inside, I would suggest caution with this as you do not want to damage your find, if you are certain there is something inside then perhaps prepare the nodule back at home with more care.

Health and Safety: This is paramount. Your safety and the safety of others around you is of utmost importance. I would highly recommend using hard hats whilst on a beach, if only while you are close to a cliff. Remember, look up before you look down, if the cliff looks unstable it is not worth the risk, cliffs can collapse without any warning. Your hard hat will help protect you against small pieces of falling debris. Also if you are hammering nodules or other rocks, use protective eyewear, you do not want to damage your eyesight if a shard of rock flicks up, it is simply not worth it.

If it is a stormy day, it is recommended to wear a high visibility jacket so that other people can see that you are out. Also, in wet conditions do not wear jeans, you will increase your risk of hypothermia, or a nasty cold! Plus jeans aren't very flexible, you'll be spending a lot of time bending down, wear something warm, waterproof (waterproof overtrousers are a good idea) and comfortable. This applies to your tops as well, thermals, fleeces or waterproof/windproof coats for the winter conditions. Your choice of footwear is also very important. A lot of the time you will be walking over uneven ground, covered with boulders and shingle. Good, sturdy boots with ankle support is best if you want to avoid rolling on your ankle and doing yourself some damage. Boots also provide you with added grip on uneven surfaces as well as providing warmth and comfort for long walks.

If you find something: The key to finding something is to know what you are looking for and what it looks like. For example, if you are searching for bone then look out for very dark material that has a sort of honey comb structure inside, careful not to pick up fossilised wood as it can look quite similar sometimes. Some people suggest looking for things that look like burnt wood with holes in, sometimes the simplest description is the best.

If you are lucky enough to find something, whether it is fossilised bone, an ammonite or a trace fossil, it is best to record exactly where you found it as there may be more associated remains to what you have found. For example finding a vertebrae of an Ichthyosaur could be an indication of more remains nearby this will allow you to return to the same place and find more of the animal. If you find something you are unsure of then it is best to take it to a professional who can classify the find and give you more information on it. Try not to damage the fossil though as you may lose important information about the find.

Above: Footprint of unknown theropod dinosaur at
Hannover Point, Isle of Wight with geological hammer for scale

But remember in most protected areas, in situ remains are to be left. But you may want to take a camera in order to photograph in situ remains and report them to a local palaeontologist, use something like a pen, your foot or your hammer as scale in the photo so they can see how big your find is.

It is also good to remember that you are not the only one who is looking for fossils in that particular location, only collect what you need and leave some that you don't necessarily need for others to find and marvel at so that their day is a success as well.

Happy Hunting!