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People thought in this mid-jurrasic shale piece there is only the travial Estherians, but under the scope, the little stain becomes some thing interesting. It looks no biggerthan the counter-fake little red or green threads in the green buck. actaully the abdomen is only 1mm long, as can be seen in one of the figues.

I'd like to start by saying I am a complete novice. But I have always been very interested in prehistoric life and paleontology. After recently getting back into the hobby I researched my local area. I have an interest in marine reptiles and was hoping to find a mostly untouched site with the possibility of finding some. Reviewing various bedrock maps and surveys I found one site that might work. I am aware I will need to review permitting and regulations before doing anything but for now i'd like to just identify areas with potential. I was wondering if anyone would help me assess it given the information I have found. Site description: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Jurassic marine rocks ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Geologic age Devonian to Late Jurassic ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lithologic constituents Major Sedimentary > Clastic > Sandstone (Bed)Feldspathic to volcaniclastic Metamorphic > Metasedimentary > Metaclastic > Slate Minor Igneous > Volcanic (Pyroclastic) Metamorphic > Metasedimentary > Metaclastic > Argillite Incidental Sedimentary > Clastic > Mudstone (Bed) Metamorphic > Metasedimentary > Metaclastic > Quartzite Sedimentary > Clastic > Conglomerate (Bed) Sedimentary > Chemical > Chert (Bed) Igneous > Volcanic > Mafic-volcanic > Andesite (Flow, Volcaniclastic) Sedimentary > Clastic > Siltstone (Bed) Sedimentary > Carbonate > Limestone (Bed) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments Primarily argillite, slate, feldspathic to volcaniclastic sandstone, and pyroclastic rocks. Includes some rocks of Paleozoic age ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is my thinking: The geologic age of the rocks ranges from the Devonian to the Late Jurassic. Marine reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs, first appeared in the Late Triassic and continued to evolve and diversify throughout the Jurassic. Therefore, rocks from the Late Jurassic are particularly promising for finding marine reptile fossils. The rock types present at this site also suggest a good chance of finding fossils. A large portion of the site consists of sedimentary rocks such as sandstone, mudstone, conglomerate, siltstone, and limestone. These rock types are known to often contain fossils, as they form from the accumulation of sediment, which can include the remains of organisms. Additionally, the presence of marine sedimentary rocks such as limestone is a strong indicator of a past marine environment, where marine reptiles would have lived. Furthermore, although there is some metamorphic rock present, such as slate and argillite, these are low-grade metamorphic rocks that have undergone only mild metamorphism. This type of metamorphism is less likely to destroy fossils compared to the high-grade metamorphism that produces rocks like gneiss and schist which is common in other formations in the area. The presence of volcanic rocks and pyroclastic suggest some volcanic activity, which can sometimes be associated with excellent preservation conditions if organisms are rapidly buried by ash. I am trying to find pictures of the rocks in the area but it is a bit challenging. I'll update the thread if I can find some decent ones. Please let me know your thoughts on this location from a purely geological perspective. Thank you, -Ged

Hello to any fossil enthusiasts reading, I wonder if anyone can help me to identify an intriguing find from Dorset? I'm an absolute beginner in these matters. I found this piece on the shore poking out of some clay, it looks great with lots of bits of old shell and some lovely starfish looking things. It was originally part of a larger brittle rock which came apart, this is the most interesting fragment. What I am really interested in is the fossil to the right of the object which looks a bit like a foot. The "foot" is about an inch in length, although the fact it has six "toes" appears to rule it out as an actual foot. The base of the "foot" is textured like scales. Any thoughts? Right now I can't even be sure it it's animal, vegetable or mineral. Any bonus identifications of the other bits and pieces in the rock would of course be welcome too, but I'm sure I could figure them out.

Clary, R.M., 2023. Etheldred Benett (1776–1845): The Lady was a Geologist. GSA Today. Vol 33, no. 7, pp. 32-33. PDF of article PDF of full issue Web page of issue Yours, Paul H.

Hey everyone, I've been searching for a document or book or anything else that gives an expansive list of ammonite species which can be found in the charmouth mudstone formation or just charmouth and seatown in general. I can't seem to find anything, which seems so weird to me because it is such a well visited location. So if you know or have such a list at hand, please send it to me. Also if someone can provide me with a graph with the biozones and succession at charmouth and the ammonite species like the one I attached (it is for the boulonnais in France), that would be extremely helpful.

https://news.utexas.edu/2023/06/27/newly-discovered-jurassic-fossils-are-a-texas-first/