Credit: University of Manchester
The discovery of an extraordinary prehistoric site containing the remains of animals that lived in a tropical sea has been made in a farmer’s fields in Gloucestershire.
Discovered under a field grazed by an ancient breed of English longhorn, the fossils, some 183 million years old, are amazingly well preserved, as if frozen in time.
Encased in three-dimensionally preserved limestone concretions, the remains of fish, ancient marine reptiles, squid, rare insects and more were discovered for the first time by a team of paleontologists. The fossils come from an inland rock layer that was last exposed in the UK more than 100 years ago and represents a unique opportunity to collect fossils from when this part of the country was deep underwater.
The newly discovered site is at Court Farm, Kings Stanley near Stroud, Gloucestershire and was discovered by Sally and Neville Hollingworth, keen fossil collectors who recently discovered the remains of mammoths in the nearby Cotswold Water Park which featured in the BBC One documentary ‘ Attenborough and the Mammoth Burial’ in 2021.
Sally and Neville explained: “These fossils come from the early Jurassic, specifically a time called the Toarcian. The clay layers found at this site near Stroud have yielded a significant number of well-preserved marine vertebrate fossils, which are comparable to the famous and exquisitely preserved similar fauna of the Strawberry Bank Lagerstätte from Ilminster, Somerset, a prehistoric site with exceptionally well-preserved fossils. Excavations at Kings Stanley over the past week have revealed a rich source of fossils, particularly from a rare layer of rock that has not been exposed since the late 19th century.”
Dr Dean Lomax, palaeontologist and visiting scientist at the University of Manchester, who recently led the excavation of the Rutland ichthyosaur, which also dates to the Toarian geological age, was part of the team and said: “The site is quite remarkable, with numerous beautifully preserved fossils of ancient animals that once lived in the Jurassic Sea that covered this part of the UK during the Jurassic period Inland fossil sites like this are rare in the UK The fossils we have collected will certainly form the basis of research projects for years to come.”
Many of the specimens collected will be donated to the local museum in Stroud Park, where they will form a significant part of the museum’s palaeontological collections. One of the team, Alexia Clarke, who is the Museum’s Records and Collections Officer, said: “We are excited to expand our knowledge of the geology of the Stroud area and look forward to the time when we can share these amazing finds with our members and visitors. Being part of the excavation team has been a real privilege and I look forward to sharing details of this experience through our members’ newsletter.”
Among the best finds were several fossil fish with excellent detail on their scales, fins and even their eyeballs. One of the most impressive discoveries is a three-dimensionally preserved fish head belonging to a species of Jurassic fish called Pachycormus. The fish looks as if it is “jumping off the rock” in which it was contained. A digital 3D model of this fossil was created by Stephen Day of ThinkSee3D.
Field observations and preparation of the fauna recovered so far indicate that the Court Farm fossils were rapidly buried, as suggested by the absence of any encrusting animals or burrows in the sediment. The layered concretions around the skeletons formed relatively early before the compaction of the sediments, as the original layering of the sediment is preserved. These concretions prevent further compaction and compression by the overlying sediments during burial and thus preserve the fossils in three-dimensional time capsules.
Neville added: “Using the latest fossil preparation and imaging techniques to understand this unique fauna in more detail will create a rich repository. We will also leave a permanent reference section after the excavation is complete. Given the location and the enthusiasm of the landowner and local community to be involved, it is hoped that a local STEM enrichment program will be planned and developed as there will be opportunities for community groups and local schools to become involved in the research, particularly from the Stroud area with a focus on targeting audiences in areas of low STEM capital.”
Landowner, Adam Knight, said: “I am delighted that following the initial work Sally and Nev did over three years ago, we now have a full-scale excavation on the farm involving a range of fossil experts from the Natural History Museum, the University of Manchester, the University of Reading and the Open University. On Friday we were also joined by Emily Baldry (16) for a day’s work placement before going to university to study palaeontology – great to see her enthusiasm for her chosen profession. It was a real pleasure to host the dig and I’m excited to see the results of what was discovered.”
Going forward, the team will continue to analyze the specimens and publish their research with the fossils planned for display at the museum in the park, Stroud, and at the Boho Bakery Café at Court Farm, King’s Stanley, Gloucestershire.
Fish-like marine reptile buried in its own blubber in southern Germany 150 million years ago Courtesy of University of Manchester
Citation: Jurassic sea life found in farmer’s field (2022, July 29) Retrieved July 29, 2022, from
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