Jurassic sea world unearthed in a farmer’s field

The discovery of an exceptional prehistoric site containing the remains of animals that lived in a tropical sea has been made in a farmers’ field in Gloucestershire.

Discovered beneath a field grazed by an ancient breed of English Longhorn cattle, the approximately 183-million-year-old fossils are incredibly well preserved, as if frozen in time.

Contained within three-dimensionally preserved limestone concretions, the remains of fish, ancient marine reptiles, squid, rare insects and more have been revealed for the first time by a team of paleontologists. The fossils come from an inland rock layer that was last exposed in the UK over 100 years ago and represented a unique opportunity to collect fossils from a time when this part of the country was underwater.

The newly found site is at Court Farm, Kings Stanley, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, and was discovered by Sally and Neville Hollingworth, avid fossil collectors who recently discovered mammoth remains at the nearby Cotswold Water Park, which appeared in the BBC One documentary “Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard” in 2021.

Sally and Neville explained: “These fossils come from the Early Jurassic, specifically an epoch called the Toarcian. The exposed clay layers at this site near Stroud have produced a significant number of well-preserved marine vertebrate fossils that are comparable to the famous and exquisitely preserved a fauna similar to the Strawberry Bank Lagerstätte in Ilminster, Somerset, a prehistoric site of exceptional fossil preservation Excavations at Kings Stanley over the past week have revealed a rich source of fossil material, particularly from a rare layer of rock that has not been on display since the end of the 19th century”.

Dr Dean Lomax, paleontologist and visiting scientist at the University of Manchester, who recently led the excavation of the Rutland ichthyosaur which also dates to the Toarcian 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 a Jurassic sea that covered this part of the UK during the Jurassic.Inland locations with fossils like this are rare in the UK.The fossils we have collected are sure to form the basis of research projects in the years to come.”

Many of the specimens collected will be donated to the local Museum in the Park, Stroud, where they will form a significant part of the museum’s palaeontology collections. One of the team membersAlexia Clark, who is the museum’s Documentation and Collections Officer, said: “We are excited to further our knowledge of the geology of the Stroud District and look forward to the time when we can share these incredible finds with our members and visitors. Be part of the dig team has been a true privilege and I can’t wait to share the details of that experience through our members’ newsletter.”

Among the best finds are several fossil fish with excellent details of their scales, fins and even their eyeballs. One of the most impressive discoveries was a preserved three-dimensional fish head, belonging to a type of Jurassic fish called Pachycormus. The fish appears as if it is “jumping off the rock” it was contained on. A 3D digital model of this fossil. It has been created by Steven Dey of ThinkSee3D.

Field observations and faunal preparation found thus far indicate that the Court Farm fossils were rapidly buried, as suggested by the absence of encrusting or burrowing animals in the sediment. The layered concretions around the skeletons formed relatively early before the sediments compacted, as the original sediment layers are preserved. These concretions prevented further compaction and compression of the overlying sediments during burial and thus preserved the fossils in three-dimensional time capsules.

Neville added: “Using the latest imaging and fossil preparation techniques to understand this unique fauna in more detail will create a rich repository. In addition, we will leave a permanent reference section after excavations have been completed. Given the location and enthusiasm of the owner of the land and local community To participate, it is hoped to plan and develop a local STEM enrichment program, as there will be opportunities for community groups and local schools to engage in research, particularly from the Stroud area with a focus on audiences in low capital STEM areas. .”

Landowner, Adam Knight, said: “I am delighted that after the initial work that Sally and Nev did over three years ago, we now have a full-scale excavation on the farm involving a variety 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 of work experience before going to college to study paleontology; it is wonderful to see her enthusiasm for the profession she has chosen. It has been a real pleasure organizing the excavation and I am excited to see the results of what has been found.”

Going forward, the team will continue to analyze the specimens and publish their research with the fossils planned to go on display at the Museum in the Park, Stroud, and the Boho Bakery Café at Court Farm, Kings Stanley, Gloucestershire.