Two centuries ago, the first complete giant reptiles were found on the south coast of England, such as the ichthyosaur and the plesiosaur. Along the Jurassic Coast Special finds are still regularly made, such as large skulls of the ichthyosaur. The unstable rocky coast constantly exposes new fossil treasures.
The British south coast in Dorset and Devon counties is a true fossil mecca, especially in the winter months when the rain and waves crash onto the beach and cliffs. “Giant reptile fossils are found every day,” said Paddy Howe, a geologist at the Lyme Regis Museum. “Usually they are small pieces of bone, whole skulls and large parts are rarer.”
First of complete giant reptiles
Two centuries ago, the English girl Mary Anning found the first (almost) complete fossils of giant reptiles from the Mesozoic era:the ichthyosaur and the plesiosaur. She also found the first British pterosaur, a flying reptile. Since the time of Anning, Lyme Regis has become the fossil center of the English south coast. It is a popular place for (amateur) paleontologists and tourists interested in fossils. Besides the English, there are also many Germans and Dutch.
But the most important finds come not from scientists or the general public, but from – mostly local – commercial fossil hunters. In 2008, another five-foot-long ichthyosaur skull was found just east of Lyme Regis, which was bought by the museum in Lyme Regis for about 25,000 euros. More recent is a two meter long skull of the same species:Temnodontosaurus platydon .
A whole puzzle
“About a dozen different species of ichthyosaurs have been found around Lyme Regis alone,” Howe says. “For the entire Jurassic Coast, there are about twenty species.” Also as far as the Plesiosaurus is concerned, it does not stop at one species. Three species have been found in Lyme Regis and there are tens along the entire coast.
“It is often quite a puzzle to reassemble the different bones of one specimen,” says Howe, speaking from experience. In 2010, he found, 'just' on the beach, at low tide, a bone of a plesiosaurus (Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus ) that protruded from the petrified clay mud. The rest of the animal was buried a few meters away.
Before Darwin
Mary Anning not only found the very first complete fossils of marine reptiles. At a time, even before Darwin, when most people - including scientists - thought that the earth was only a few thousand years old and evolution was a new concept, she made detailed drawings of her finds.
She was able to identify the animal species from the smallest bones. For example, as an autodidact, Anning came into contact with scientists – partly thanks to all the knowledge she received from her father – at a time when it was very unusual for someone of her origin to personally get to know the wealthy gentlemen from higher circles interested in paleontology. and share her knowledge with them.
The 19th century image to the right wrongly suggests that Mary Anning did all the work alone. Sometimes she hired a group of workers from the local quarries to excavate and transport the often large and heavy fossils. Howe said:"Two years ago, we exhibited Anning's ichthyosaurus for a year in Lyme Regis, but even with a group of adult males, we barely got the skeleton up the stairs."
From Triassic to Cretaceous
We now know from certain types of brittle stars from Anning's collection that she also went fossil hunting further east. In 2001 the south coast of Devon and Dorset was granted World Heritage status and is being promoted as the Jurassic Coast. Geologically, however, it covers much more times than just the Jurassic; the 155 km long coast runs from the Triassic in the west (Orcombe Point) to Old Harry Rocks from the Cretaceous.
Rapid erosion
“On average, one meter of coast disappears here every year,” says Howe. “The rocks alternately consist of limestone and shales, a kind of clay rock. The softer shale rock erodes much faster than limestone. You can even crush it with your nails.” It is therefore this shale rock from which most fossils originate. Because of the waves, especially at high tide and during storms and rain, new fossils are constantly emerging. Tourists are therefore free to search for fossils here, although they must report special finds to the authorities.
Chisels and nails
“From a distance, the 19th century fossils look good,” Howe says. “But if you look closely, that is quite disappointing. The bones are sometimes even extracted from the rock with chisels and nails. At that time, they didn't use an acidic solution like we do now. In this way, the fossil is released slowly, without being damaged.”
But the region around Lyme Regis is not only known for its many fossil marine reptiles. This is also where the Scelidosaurus Harrisoni was found, an early Jurassic dinosaur that has not yet been found anywhere else in the world.
However, it is not only scientists and fossil seekers who are inspired by the Jurassic Coast. Artists are also attracted to it. The abundance of (imprints of) fossils in chunks of rock and the fact that you are relatively free to take them with you also serve them well.