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It's been a while since i posted a proper trip report, so i thought i'd show you guys the spoils from my recent trip to the Lyme Regis area in early April 2023 (collecting from the 3rd to the 9th). I spent the week intensely scouring over the foreshore for any vertebrate fossils that i could, as marine reptiles are my main interest at this particular fossil site. But i found many great invertebrate fossils as well! Especially ammonites and belemnites. These fossils are all Early Jurassic in age, about 200 to 190 million years old, and come from the Blue Lias and Charmouth Mudstone formations. Most of my collecting time was on the beach between Lyme Regis and Charmouth, but i also visited Monmouth Beach west of Lyme Regis, which spectacularly showcases literally thousands of ammonites embedded within the shore platforms. This trip was my 6th to Lyme Regis overall, so i was hoping to find some vertebrate specimens that i hadn't yet found on previous trips. And things proved very successful! Despite the large amount of people on the beach over the Easter break. 

 

Firstly, some shots of the beautiful coastline. It really is an amazing place to collect. 

 

This is the beach immediately east of Lyme Regis, looking out at Church Cliffs, the Spittles, and Black Ven. 

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This is midway between Lyme Regis and Charmouth, looking east towards Charmouth.

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A closer view looking towards Charmouth. 

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This is the famous "ammonite pavement" at Monmouth Beach, west of Lyme Regis, where thousands of ammonites can be observed in the shore platform. 

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This Mary Anning statue has recently been erected near the beach access point east of Lyme Regis (within the last year i believe). People were leaving both flowers and fossils here which is lovely. 

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Now to the fossil finds! Including some "as found" pics of fossils lying on the beach, before i picked them up. 

 

Starting with a nice section of marine reptile rib. I suspect this is plesiosaur rather than ichthyosaur.

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The end of some kind of marine reptile limb or phalange. Possibly the end of a plesiosaur phalanx.

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This is the bottom half of an ichthyosaur humerus. I've drawn the approximate shape of the part that is missing. 

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A small piece of ichthyosaur rib. 

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This is a new one for me. A fragment of hybodontid shark dorsal spine. Although it is just a piece, these are relatively rare on this coast. 

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Perhaps the quintessential marine reptile bone from this coastline, an ichthyosaur vertebra! As found on the beach and then in my hand. Finding these never gets old. 

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This is the top of an ichthyosaur femur. The natural cross section of the bone shaft preserves amazing detail of its growth rings!

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A small fragment of ichthyosaur jaw, with several rounded cross sections of worn teeth. 

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Something else i had yet to find from this area: marine reptile coprolites! One is quite beach worn, while the other is rather 'fresh'. No pun intended.

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As-found pictures of marine reptile bone chunks sitting on the beach. 

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Here's a final summary of all the vertebrate finds from the trip. For a weeks worth of searching i'm very happy with this lot!

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And of course, the invertebrates! I particularly loved some of the larger ammonites, although carrying them off the beach would require a team of people! And these definitely wouldn't fit in my suitcase returning to Australia...

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A lovely belemnite.

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This one is a nautilus!

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Finally, something i wasn't expecting to find. This is a small crustacean from the Upper Greensand (Cretaceous rather than Jurassic). 

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Overall it was a fantastic trip! And i'm looking forward to returning whenever i can. Thanks for checking out this report :)

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"In Africa, one can't help becoming caught up in the spine-chilling excitement of the hunt. Perhaps, it has something to do with a memory of a time gone by, when we were the prey, and our nights were filled with darkness..."

-Eternal Enemies: Lions And Hyenas

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that's where my love for fossils started. as a little boy. I like coming there. 

beautiful finds your eye falls well on the black bone. if you go back to the west side and then walk on until you no longer see Lyme, that is the place where the last lchthyosaurs was found. and the walk from chermount to sea town is very good too. especially for the little pyrite amoniets.

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Excellent finds from a very picturesque and historic section of coast. Your photos are delightful. Great report. Thanks for sharing your experience there. 

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Excellent finds. :ammo3:

Definitely on my list of places to get to 

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160.png MotM August 2023 - Eclectic Collector

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Great trip! Wish you coulda kept the huge one!

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe" - Saint Augustine

"Those who can not see past their own nose deserve our pity more than anything else."

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Thank you for the kind comments everyone! Lyme Regis is always a fun time. 

 

On 5/30/2023 at 7:47 PM, Ash said:

Great trip! Wish you coulda kept the huge one!

 

Yeah me too. If it was smaller i would have. But on the bright side it's still there for others to admire. 

"In Africa, one can't help becoming caught up in the spine-chilling excitement of the hunt. Perhaps, it has something to do with a memory of a time gone by, when we were the prey, and our nights were filled with darkness..."

-Eternal Enemies: Lions And Hyenas

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Looks like you had a good time. Always fun to see the big ammonites on the beach. And thanks for sharing the Upper Greensand crustacean. I remember finding a Micraster sea urchin from the Cretaceous there. 

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I thoroughly enjoyed reading that - as well as your superb photos! Just wanted to say thanks.

 

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An excellent trip report! I don't know why, but, your belemnite almost looks like a sand tiger shark tooth. :zzzzscratchchin:

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