Fossil Collection (page 28)

Iguanodon thumb spike
A fossil thumb spike that once belonged to Iguanodon, a herbivorous dinosaur that lived 140 to 110 million years ago. It is though to have used its sharp ended thumb to defend itself against predators

Iguanodon metatarsal
A fossil metatarsal (the long bone of the foot) that once belonged to the herbivorous bipedal dinosaur, Iguanodon. The rough patches are where the muscles and tendons were attached to the bone

Iguanodon foot
The right foot of a very large Iguanodon. Some of the toe joints have small frills of bony overgrowth, showing that the dinosaur was suffering from arthritis

Iguanodon hand
Fossil remains of a hand that once belonged to the herbivorous dinosaur, Iguanodon. Notice the very sharpe spike like thumb which is thought to have been used for defending itself against predators

Didymograptus, graptolite
Didymograptus, Ordovician tuning-fork planktonic graptolites. Graptolites are an extinct group of marine, colonial animals

Dictyonema, graptolite
Shown here is Dictyonema, a Cambrian dendroid graptolite. Graptolites are the fossil remains of small colonial animals. Graptolite colonies were connected together by living tissue

Gymnosperm, palm & angiosperm
Composite photomicrograph comparing structures visible through a hand-held lens in transverse section of fossil tree trunks: gymnosperm (left), palm (centre) and angiosperm (right)

Protobarinophyton obrutschevii
The fossilised leafless stems of Protobarinophyton obrutschevii topped by a cone-like array of sopre sacs. Approximately 3 mm wide

Rhynia major, fossilised plant
A complete soft tissue preservation at the cellular level in Rhynia major. Transverse section through stem, approximately 2mm in diameter. From Rhynie Chert, Scotland, Early Devonian

Marpolia spissa, fossilised algae
A fossilised type of green algae, possible filamentous cyanobacteria (Marpolia spissa), approximately 12 mm in height. This specimen was discovered in the Middle Cambrian, Burgess Shale, Canada

Bothrodendron minutifoliu, fossil clubmoss
Shown here is a fossilised leafy twig of a clubmoss originating from Carboniferous rocks near Barnsley, England

Athleta luctator, fossil sea snail
A fossil sea snail (Athleta luctator) dating from the late Eocene rocks around Barton, England

Sigillaria rugosa, fossil club moss
This section of a club moss trunk displays leaf scars where leaves grew straight out from. Club mosses could grow up to heights of 30 metres

Fossil branches of Calamites
The fossil branches of Calamites sp. bearing leaves and cones; Palaeostachya and Asterophyllites. Specimen discovered in Wales, dating back to the Late Carboniferous period

Coal, from the late carboniferous
Coal is formed from fossil plants. The regular pattern on the surface of this 14 cm long piece is the impression of the bark of a fossil tree; Lepidodendron

Amber on a Norfolk beach
Amber is a fossilised form of tree resin. Baltic amber is occasionally washed up on the beaches of eastern Britain

Lepidotes, fossil fish

Sigillaria rugosa, fossil plant
Shown here is a section of the stem of a 300 million year old Carboniferous plant, probably abundant in the Carboniferous swamplands. The stem or trunk is the most common part to be fossilised

Cupressinoxylon, fossil wood
Composite photomicrograph showing transverse (left), tangential (centre) and radial (right) sections through fossil wood; Cupressinoxylon from the London Clay at Ashford, Kent, England

Asteroceras obtusum, ammonite
Shown here is a Jurassic ammonite. Ammonites are an extinct group of fossil cephalopods related to todays Nautilus

Glossopteris, fossil plant
Shown here is Glossopteris, a fossil fern plant with tongue-shaped leaves with a net-like arrangement of veins

Fluorescent group
A group including amber, ruby, ivory, fluorite and opal photographed in ultra violet light. See 179 for the same group in white light

Dapedium orbicularis, fossil fish
A well preseved example of an enamel-scaled fish from the Lower Lias, Lyme Regis, Dorset, England

Ammonite 2011

CUVIER, Georges (1769-1832). French zoologist. Etching. Private Collection

Peak Cavern
Cottages around the entrance to Peak Cavern, Castleton, Derbyshire, England. Date: 1930s

Fossils found in Buckinghamshire
A deposit of fossils discovered in a bed of clay on the farm of Mr Greaves at Tingwick, Bucks, excited considerable curiosity and speculation as to their nature and origin

Fossil Holoptychius
A complete holoptychius fossil found in Devonian stratum, which dates back to between 354 and 417 million years ago

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