Search the Community

Hi all, Bought this tooth online a while back. It was sold to me as "Ichthyosaurus platyodon" (which I understand to mean Temnodontosaurus platyodon) from Lyme Regis. Likely found by the seller themselves, as I know they occasionally collect fossils there. However, for the following reasons, I'm not sure about this attribution: Overall, the tooth doesn't look like your typical ichthyosaur tooth to me: It has more of an oval rather than round cross-section It's labolingually flattened Messial and distal carinae run the full length of the crown and divide the tooth into labial and lingual parts While fine striations can be seen on one side of the tooth (presumably the lingual side), the other side (which would be the labial) seems entirely smooth - though some traces of rare striations can be seen on the photographs The striations are much more similar to those of crocodile or pliosaur teeth than to the plicidentine condition so typical of ichthyosaurs The horizontal banding on the tooth surface is unfamiliar to me with respect to most marine reptile teeth I have seen, but occurs much more frequently on crocodile teeth of various species I also bought another tooth with the same attribution from the seller, more or less around the same time. This one has no striations whatsoever, has a more rounded base, is less flattened and has a more rounded tip. It also has carinae. I therefore reclassified it as a probable Goniopholis sp. crocodile tooth. Now I know that not having the root makes it more difficult to identify this particular specimen, but I was hoping someone on this forum might be able to help me, as currently it goes without label. I've considered crocodile, plesiosaur and even pliosaur, but all of these have some reservations that prevent final classification. For one, none of these groups have teeth that are typically flattened like this, nor do plesiosaurs (sensu lato, thus including pliosaurs) have carinae. Crocodiles, then again, would either have or not have striations all around the tooth. And what to make of the banding: is this just preservational, or does it reflect the internal structure of the tooth - i.e. outcome of the tooth's ontological growth? Tooth measures 18 mm and is missing the tip. Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi all. I picked this up on a dog walk yesterday by Chesil Beach in Weymouth UK. I regularly see belemnites, amonites, sea urchins etc but don’t recognise this. I don’t even know if it is a fossil or a bone or piece of coral. It certainly doesn’t feel like bone. It’s more of a stone / pumice consistency. Can anyone help me identify it please?

Hello, I recently got a hold of this tooth from an old collection in the UK. I am unsure if this tooth wouldve come from a ichthyosaur or a pliosaur since the root is absent and I'm not expert in this material, so any feedback that help figure this tooth out is appreciated.

Hi, my son and I have a large collection of fossils, some of which we found ourselves on the Jurassic coast of England. As we are now mostly confined to our houses here we were hoping to better document our collection and we were hoping to put the correct names to them all. To start I was hoping that someone could help us out by identifying which ammonites these are. They were all found in Lyme Regis and they are all preserved in iron pyrite. Thanks.

Dear Fossil-Community! Maybe you could help me identifying a strange object I've found at Charmouth Beach (Jurassic Coast, Dorset, United Kingdom) in December 2019. It is about 10cm long, covered in fool's gold and weights 172g. Its edges are quite straight, but on the narrow sides you can see foldings. I've attached some photos to this thread. Do you have any idea what this object could be? I am very thankful for your help and any suggestions. Kind regards Bernadette

Picked this up at Charmouth Beach (UK) where mainly marine fossils are found (ammonites, echinoderms etc) but not sure what this might be. It's hollow and the inside has the light brown bumpy impressions running all the way through. Any suggestions on ID are appreciated!

Hey all! I was visiting the Jurassic Coast in Devon yesterday and found these 3 fossils (I think) under the rocky cliffs on Lulworth Cove in Devon, England. ..does anyone know what they might be please? I have labelled each one 1, 2 and 3 and number 3 has 3 pictures attached; 3a,3b,3c. Unfortunately this is larger and a more difficult shape of rock to photograph. any help or advice on the ID of any of these would be great. PS. I am an amateur and have no idea if they even are fossils, but it would be exciting if they were. Thanks again for any help!

Hi everyone! Last week I went camping for 3 days with my cousin and her parents in Lyme Regis (first time on the jurassic coast) and managed to persuade them to join me in a little fossil hunting! On the first day we went to Lyme Regis beach and to cut a long story short, we had no luck. all I found was half of a compressed ammonite in the shale which I then realised I lost when we got back to the campsite! I wasn't bothered though as the shale is so crumbly that it would not have lasted very long anyway. We did however have a really nice time on the beach and saw lots of huge ammonites in the rocks and the ammonite graveyard which was amazing. The next day was allocated to the museum and looking around the fossil shops. Of course I would have loved to have spent the day searching for fossils, but I only tagged along to this holiday! On the last day we went to Charmouth beach in the hope of better luck. My hope was diminished when we saw the hundreds of people all traipsing the beach looking for fossils. A lot of them had hammers and seemed to be hammering indiscriminately at rocks however, and most of those looking on the beach were just walking and staring at their feet. It became obvious quite quickly that this was not an effective method at this site and so I spent that day on my hands and knees. Belemnites were abundant (I really should have stopped picking them up but I couldn't resist) as were tiny ammonite fragments. I only found 3 nicely exposed whole ammonites though and one encased in rock (I might buy some tools to prep it myself - just got my university scholarship money, why spend it on fees!) And then came the excitement: all the previous week I had been preoccupied about this trip to the Jurassic coast and the odd chance of finding an ichthyosaur vertebra, without ever thinking I would. But, a few hours into the trip, what should I see laying on the ground by my feet? An ichthyosaur vertebra!! I just grabbed it and had to sprint back to my cousin down the beach to show her! It more than made up for not finding a larger or more complete ammonite. All in all we had a great time, I can't wait to go back! Some of my nicer finds Some bivalves My only nice whole ammonites Ammonite fragment filled with crystal, there's a lovely ring of golden pyrite showing around the crystal too Crinoid stems The ichthyosaur vertebra!

I have recently been exploring what is know as the Jurassic coast portion of North Yorshire UK. After finding ammonites in abundance I stumbled upon what appeared to be a vertabrae looking piece of rock. Parts that are exposed like the ends of the rock appear slightly porus like fossilized marrow. Waves often erode the sides of the cliffs exposing new fossils in this area. I was wondering if anyone could help me identify if this is actually a fossil and if so what sort of prehistoric beast it could have come from and if it is not thanks for your advice and hopefully better luck next time!

Hello everyone! I recently picked this item up. It was labelled as a ichthyosaur vertebrae, however I just couldn’t shake the feeling it wasn’t. I purchased it and have done some comparing to my other specimens and looking through my textbooks. I’m thinking it could be a paddle digit. The way the lines of the bone sprawl out from the centre rather than the ring formation of some of my vertebrae. Of course I could be completely wrong but there’s always that thrill of the unknown. I’ve compared it to a partial paddle I have and a humerus I also have in some photos to give an idea. Hope someone can help. Kind regards Ryan

Can anybody identify this fragment I found at Ringstead Bay, Dorset, UK a few years back? I thought originally it was either a piece of bone or ammonite fragment, any advice would be much appreciated. The location is along the Jurassic Coast and would assume it was Jurassic in age.

Some of you have probably heard of Lyme Regis in Dorset but less of you have heard of Charmouth(the coastline east of Lyme Regis). This topic will cover which one is better for fossil hunting. In Charmouth the common fossils are fools gold ammonites(which can be picked up just by walking along the beach),belemnites, beef rock ammonites, coprolites(most unidentifiable), random marine reptile bone fragments(usually ichthyosaur). The rarer Charmouth fossils are complete marine reptile bones. The incredibly rare fossils are Scelidosaurus(a primitive armoured dinosaur) bones. In Lyme regis the remains are almost the same but no Scelidosaurus and instead there is a possible species of Megalosaurus and rare sea urchins(these might also be in Charmouth). Unlike Charmouth the "common fossils" are not so common. My opinion is that Charmouth is better. But I am interested to hear other opinions. PS- Sorry for the lack of pictures and the large amount of brackets.

How a poor Victorian woman became a legendary fossil hunter Mary Anning was renowned as a ‘geological lioness’, with her discoveries including the first complete plesiosaur fossil. Now, centuries later, her town of Lyme Regis is putting up a long overdue statue of her, The Independent, November 2018 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mary-anning-fossils-palaeontology-lyme-regis-women-geology-statue-victorian-era-a8617936.html Yours, Paul H.

Fossil collector rescued after becoming trapped by landslide Fishermen dig injured man out of mud before he is airlifted to safety The Independent, November 2018 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/fossil-collector-trapped-mud-landslide-cliffs-port-mulgrave-yorkshire-a8605461.html Yours, Paul H.

Hi folks. spotted this on a recent holiday in the UK to the south coast ( Dorset - the Jurassic coast ). the rock was approx. 250kg and I got it down to 80kg to get it in the car. the reason was I noticed this strange raised disc edge shape within the rock which does not appear man made. the rock is extremely hard. I plan to start removing the rock to expose more of it as I'm curious. any ideas as to if this is even a fossil and if so what it could be.

Hi All, Spent a few days down on the Devon/Dorset coast with family. Plan was to fish and fossil hunt over the period. Got to Lyme Regis nice and early on the Friday and still didn't beat the crowds. Found a few Pyrite Ammonites (of which the photos i will attach later) but nothing else of major significance. Went back on the Saturday and had a rummage around in the loose material on the beach slightly away from the crowds. Found a single Ichthyosaur vertebra under a large rock, then a small piece of paddle bone in a rock pool, and lastly and my favourite half a larger vertebra with other bones in matrix just laying out in the open!! To say i was happy is an understatement! It was very busy down there so i think i got very lucky to find these. Apologies there is no scale on them. Hopefully my hand will suffice! I am planning to get the larger find prepped to remove some of the matrix, if anyone can recommend someone in the UK who can do it that would be brilliant, please send me a message. Thanks for reading.

Hi all, I will be visiting the UK soon and am looking to acquire some UK fossils, particularly from the Jurassic Coast. Is there anyone I could approach for help on this? Thanks, Jay

I found this object last week near Cayton bay, (Jurassic Coast) UK. It was sticking out of a cliff face. I don't know if it is just a water-worn 'stone' or something more interesting. I have attached several photos from various angles. Would anyone be able to tell me if it is something fossilised or, should it simply be adorning my rockery? Regards, Alan.

Could somebody please help me, I went fossil hunting on The Jurassic Coast in Weymouth called Charmouth Beach. We found this and I’m unsure what it is. I have tried to remove some of the stone surrounding but struggling. I’m concerned I’m going to damage it. It appear to be a bronze colour when I clean it. I hope someone can help, thank you

Hello, my first post so thanks in advance to all of you who look at novice finds and tell us, with great patience, what we've found. I found this on the beach between Lyme Regis and Charmouth in what I think is the Black Ven, The stone cleaved easily enough with a butter knife and this was revealed. The coin in the photos is a UK 5p piece and the fossil measures approx. 15mm X 8mm Thank you Simon

Hello everyone! I am very excited; In 2 weeks I am going fossil hunting on the Jurassic coast of Lyme Regis,Charmouth and the nearby fossil beaches. I have already went to Lyme Regis when I was a kid and all I remember was spending hours flipping stone for small ammonites. I would need some advice... Where are the best places and areas to find fossils,I am really on a vertebrate hunt more than a invertebrate one but it’s cool to come across some aswell. I am considering doing a guided tour with a professional fossil expert from Lyme Regis. Do you have any suggestions/advice/addresses? I would also be looking for the best fossil shops around Lyme Regis and Charmout, I know they are a few, I just don’t know which are the best and worth it. Any English fossil experts? Really Appreciate all the help and suggestions Kind regards.

I found this rock (or fossil?) on Studland beach in Dorset, UK. I understand that it may just be a rock but the area (the Jurassic coast) is known for it's prevalence of fossils. I thought it may be a tooth of some kind. Can you help with identification please? Many thanks.

Hello all Around April, May I'm going to the UK for a couple of days with my parents. They will visit some villages, while I'll be fossil hunting on the beach. I've done some research on the internet and thefossilforum, but sometimes the messages I get are contradictory. So I have some questions. -Is it allowed to search fossils in Lyme Regis and Charmouth with a hamer? I know you can't hack in the cliffs. -Is April and May a good period to search for fossils? -I have some serious problems with my eyes and it's very difficult for me to find loose fossils lying on the beach. Are there nice finds in the rocks? I can see those a whole lot better. -If you find an ichthyosaur or a big ammonite (I don't expect to find any) are you allowed to take them with you home? -Does anyone of you know if a good place to stay in Lyme Regis or Charmouth? I found a lot of places and now I don't know which one I have to choose. Our dog is going with us. -Any more tips? Thanks already Greetings Thijs

G'day all! After three years since my last visit to the UK, i finally returned in December 2017 for another massive collecting trip across England. This was my most ambitious tour of the UK's Mesozoic and Cenozoic vertebrate deposits thus far, with 20 days of collecting across ten different locations. These were (in chronological order from first visit): Abbey Wood in East London Beltinge in Kent Bouldnor on the Isle of Wight Compton Bay to Grange Chine on the Isle of Wight Lyme Regis to Charmouth in Dorset Aust Cliff in Gloucestershire Saltwick Bay in Yorkshire Kings dyke in Cambridgeshire Minster in Kent Tankerton in Kent. If you went collecting at any of these places in the last month, there's probably a 25.6975% chance you saw me looking very intimidating hunched over in my hooded rain jacket and muddy pants 14 of those collecting days were back-to-back, a new record for me, though it was very tiring! Having just come from the hot Australian summer, winter collecting in England was certainly a challenge at times and my fingers and toes froze to the point i could barely feel them on multiple occasions. Temperatures for many of the days reached 0 degrees celcius or below, with ice on the ground around me and even snow falling while i was trying to collect! I also went out during the middle of the night to collect using a head torch on some occasions (mainly at Bouldnor) due to the tidal conditions and bad weather which prevented collecting during the day. All in all i am certainly pleased with how the trip went, i was successful at all locations with the exception of Tankerton. For some of the locations (Aust Cliff, Kings dyke, Saltwick Bay) it was also my first and only visit, so i'm glad i still managed to do well with no prior experience at these sites and with such limited time at each. I have tried to write this trip report not only as a means of showing you guys my finds but also to provide an informative overview of some of the better locations for Mesozoic and Cenozoic vertebrates across England for others who might be planning similar trips. Anyway, here are the results! Pictures will be spread across the next 12 posts due to file size restrictions. Abbey Wood - East London (6/12/17, 30/12/17 and 31/12/17) Formation: Blackheath ('Lesnes Shell Bed') Deposit Age: 54.5 million years (Eocene) Fossil Diversity: Sharks, bony fish, chimaeroids, bivalves, gastropods, rare mammals, turtles and crocodiles This was one of only two inland locations i visited (the other being Kings dyke). As i have found, the majority of the UK's easily accessible fossil collecting locations are coastal! Abbey Wood is an excellent location just 45 minutes on the tube from central London. It is situated in a park called the Lesnes Abbey Woods and there is a small collecting area that is open to the public for shallow digging (see my first two pictures below). You definitely need a sifter, shovel and basin of water at this location to have any real success. Be warned though that once you combine the fine Blackheath sediments with water during sifting you get some pretty gnarly mud so expect to come away from this site looking like you've just been rolling around in the dirt. I'm sure i got some interesting looks from people on the tube going back to London it was all worth it though, as every single sift load produced at least one shark tooth across the three days i visited. Very impressive considering the number of obvious holes dotted around the ground from years worth of other collectors visiting. It should be noted though that the mammalian material from this location is of high scientific importance, and collecting here is allowed on the condition that any mammalian finds be brought to the attention of and handed in to specialists like Dr Jerry hooker at the Natural History Museum in London. I didn't find any such material on my trips unfortunately. Here is the designated collecting area. The statue at the front is of Coryphodon, one of the rare Eocene mammals that has been found at the site. The full haul of shark teeth from three days of sifting in the collecting area. Most are from Striatolamia and Sylvestrilamia. I gave up trying to count them once i got past 100 Some of the other fishy bits that often turn up during sifting, including guitar fish teeth on the far left and two dermal denticles (Hypolophodon sylvestris), one gar pike fish tooth in the middle (Lepisosteus suessionensis), one shark vertebra down the bottom and unidentified bony fish vertebrae on the right. I don't typically collect shells, but i picked these up for the sake of adding a bit more diversity to my Abbey Wood collection. These are bivalves and gastropods of various species. The molluscan diversity from this one location is actually quite impressive. Beltinge - Kent (7/12/17 and 29/12/17) Formation: Upnor ('Beltinge Fish Bed') Deposit Age: 56.5 million years old (Paleocene) Fossil Diversity: Sharks, chimaeroids, bony fish, rays, turtles, crocodiles, bivalves, wood This is my favourite shark tooth collecting location in the UK and probably my favourite that i have visited anywhere so far. The shoreline directly opposite the access point at the end of Reculver Drive in Beltinge is loaded with teeth and dare i say it's impossible to come here and walk away empty handed. The shore however is very flat so there is generally only about a two hour window of time that collecting can be carried out here, one hour either side of low tide. Conditions can also vary depending on how sanded over the shore is, whether the Beltinge Fish Bed itself is exposed and how low the tide drops. However even on a poor day you will still find teeth here, just not as many! I experienced this first hand as the first day i visited on December 7th the conditions were excellent. The tide dropped quite low, there wasn't too much sand covering the clay and the Beltinge Fish Bed was exposed. This allowed direct in-situ collecting of teeth from this rich layer and i ended up with something like 240 teeth from just a couple of hours of looking. The second visit i made on December 29 of the same month was almost the exact opposite. It's amazing how quickly these coastal locations can change! The shore was largely sanded over, the fish bed was covered and the tide didn't drop anywhere near as much. I was out about the same amount of time as the first but only managed 69 teeth (only ). Keep these things in mind if you are planning a visit. Luckily though i didn't just find shark teeth, i also managed to locate some of the other less common finds as you will see below! Here is the area of shoreline that produces teeth, photographed on December 7th. It was quite cold and rainy! Three teeth sitting next to each other as found. More as-found shark teeth. This one made me quite excited when i saw it. It's a large piece of chimaeroid fish jaw and mouthplate coming straight from the Beltinge Fish Bed itself (the darker, dull-green sandy clay in this picture). Beltinge is continued in the next post.

Sir David Attenborough helps discover brand new species of ichthyosaur in Lyme Regis, Dorset Echo, Jennifer Mulcahey, January 3, 2018 http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/NEWS/15805526.Sir_David_Attenborough_helps_discover_new_species____and_you_might_recognise_the_location/ P.S., I am not responsible for the article's title. Yours, Paul H.