Fossil of the Month

What is it? An Ammonite is a soft-bodied marine animal with a chambered shell. These shells tend to take the form of a spiral. It looks similar to Nautilus which is currently in our oceans. Ammonites consumed plankton and possibly bottom-dwelling slow-moving animals.

Where did it live? They were found in oceans around the world; however, they were more common in shallower seas.

When did it live? Lived from the Jurassic to the Cretaceous Period (201 to 66 million years). Ammonites went extinct at the same time as the dinosaurs.

Where can I see it? There is an especially high abundance in Dorset, but they can also be seen in Yorkshire and on the Isle of Skye.

Fun Fact: The largest Ammonite that has been found was 1.8 meters in diameter.

What was it? Trilobites were oval shaped marine invertebrates composed of a cephalon (head shield), a series of segments (thorax), and the pygidium (tail shield). They had diverse roles in the ecosystem including scavengers, predators, grazers, specialist filter feeders, and particle feeders.

Where did it live? Trilobites lived at various depths, with different species being more dominant at different depths.

When did it live? From the Cambrian’s start to the Permian period’s end (540 million to 250 million years ago).

Where can I see it? Due to the widespread nature of the trilobites, there are many sites at which they can be found, including along the Fife coast, close to St Monan’s.

Fun Fact: A trilobite’s stomach was located in it’s head!

What is it? Crinoids are marine animals which are related to the modern day starfish. Crinoids can be split into three sections: The stem made of calcite rings, the body which is known as the Calyx and branching arms used to filter feed.

Where did it live? Fossilised crinoids often lived in warm, shallow waters.

When did it live? Crinoids are not an extinct animal, however they have been around since the Cambrian period to the present day, with peak abundance and diversity being 260 million years ago.

Where can I see it? Crinoids can be found across the UK, especially in Carboniferous limestone.

Fun Fact: Crinoids are often referred to as “sea lillies” due to their flower like appearance, but despite this name they are not plants but are animals.

What is it? Stromatolites are layered sedimentary structures produced by micro-organisms. They look like layered domes of sediment and they grow vertically.

When did it live? They are one of the oldest organisms on Earth, dating back to 3.45 billion years and can still be seen in some places around the world today.

Where can I see it? In Scotland, 1200 million year old Stromatolites can be found near Lochinver, Northwest Highlands.

Fun Fact: Stromatolites were some of the first photosynethesising organism. This released oxygen into the atmosphere therefore making Earth habitable for other lifeforms.

What was it? Lepidodendron was an early tree-like plant, whose closest living relatives are club mosses. It had a shallow root-like system, a long stem and a canopy. The most common fossils of Lepidodendron are impressions left in sediment, often showing a distinctive scale-like pattern from the bark.

Where did it live? Lepidodendron lived in wet swampy areas, which were very abundant during the time they lived.

When did it live? Lepidodendron only occurred during the Carboniferous Period.

Where can I see it? Lepidodendron can be found across western Europe and China, but more locally you can see them along the coast of Fife.

Fun Fact: These early tree-like plants did not have a proper root system, and so, would often be toppled by high winds.

What is it? Brachiopods are marine organisms made up of two unsymmetrical valves, held together by a hinge in the middle. They can range from 2mm to 30cm in size.

Where do they live? Brachiopods mostly live on the seabed in shallow marine environments, including both tropical and arctic waters.

When did it live? Brachiopods have existed since the Cambrian period (540Ma) and can still be found today. They were most abundant through the Palaeozoic era (540 – 252Ma).

Where can I see it? Brachiopod fossils can be found in many locations across Scotland, including Seafield near Kirkcaldy.

Fun Fact: The chemistry of Brachiopod shells can be used to deduce the sea temperature at the time the Brachiopod was living.

What is it? Arthropleura is a millipede-like animal, with hard plates covering its long segmented body. It is the biggest known invertebrate to live on land, estimated to be over 2m long. We mainly find the preserved tracks left behind.

Where did it live? Fossil evidence suggests that Arthropleura lived on land in woodland areas near coastlines or floodplains close to the equator.

When did it live? Arthropleura lived 300 million years ago between 345 and 290 Ma, during the Upper Carboniferous.

Where can I see it? Fossil evidence of Arthropleura can be seen on the Isle of Arran and several locations along the Fife coast.

Fun Fact: In the modern day, invertebrates are not nearly as large as they were in the Carboniferous due to lower oxygen levels in the atmosphere.

What is it? Corals are soft bodied animals, with a calcareous skeleton. Corals can be colonial and therefore be found as part of a coral reef, or they can be solitary.

Where do they live? Corals are marine animals and can be found at various depths and temperatures. Corals in deeper, colder water are more commonly solitary whereas colonial corals are restricted to warmer, shallower waters.

Where can I see it? Solitary corals can be found today in deep waters off the coast of Scotland. However, to find living colonial corals warmer waters are needed, such as the Red Sea or the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Fun Fact: Coral reefs are the largest structures on Earth of biological origin!

What is it? A dinosaur footprint is a trace fossil, formed when a dinosaur’s foot pressed into soft sediment such as mud or sand, leaving an impression that later hardened and was preserved in rock.

Where did they live? Dinosaurs would have lived all over the Earth, including what is now the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

When did it live? Dinosaurs roamed Earth throughout the Mesozoic Era, from around 230 to 66 million years ago.

Where can I see it? Today, footprints from both herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs can be seen on the Isle of Skye, Scotland!

Fun Fact: Dinosaur footprints are like clues from the past, they show how dinosaurs walked, if they travelled in groups, and how fast they could walk or run!

What is it? Graptolites were small, colonial sea animals. They lived in groups inside tube-like structures and filtered food from the water.

Where did they live? Early graptolites lived on the sea bed but they later evolved to be free floating. This enabled them to move to parts of the ocean where food was more abundant.

When did it live? They lived between the Cambrian and Carboniferous periods, about 520 to 350 million years ago.

Where can I see it? Dob’s Linn in Dumfries and Galloway is a well-known site for viewing graptolite fossils.

Fun Fact: Graptolites evolved very quickly and are found worldwide, therefore, geologists can use them like a geological stopwatch to tell the exact age of rocks!

What is it? A coprolite is a piece of fossilised dung (or poop) from an animal that may have lived millions of years ago. Sizes vary, but some coprolites measure up to 29cm.

What does it look like? Coprolite fossils come in many different shapes and sizes, but often the shape can help us determine the animal it came from. For example, a spiral shape often indicates a shark or fish.

When did it live? The oldest coprolite to be discovered is more than 200 million years old.

Where can I see it? Coprolites can be found across Scotland.

Fun Fact: Some coprolites even contain fossilised bits of the animal’s last meal, like bones, shells, or plants, giving scientists a peek into ancient diets!

What is it? Bivalves are a type of mollusc that filter-feeds using it’s gills, it has muscle attachments to the shell, allowing it to open and close, to move through the water or burrow. Living examples are mussels, scallops, clams and oysters.

What does it look like? Bivalves are usually composed of 2 symmetrical shells held together by a hinge.

When did it live? Bivalves initially emerged during the Cambrian explosion, starting as very simple organisms before diversifying. Bivalves are still abundant in oceans and freshwater today.

Where can I see it? Bivalves can be found in marine environments from beaches to deep sea hydrothermal vents.

Fun Fact: Many bivalves can be aged based on the growth bands on their shells, similar to tree growth rings.