Dapedium from Lang’s Fish Beds Found in May 2008 Landslip

Table of Contents

1. An Overlooked Plesiosaur
2. Ichthyosaur tooth
3. A Wonderful Example of a Fossil Fish
4. Brother and Sister Find Sea-Dragon in Cliffs
5. Lower Jurassic Leaf
6. Plesiosaur Vertebrae
7. Small Ichthyosaur from Blue Lias Ledges
8. Dapedium from Lang’s Fish Beds Found in May 2008 Landslip
9. The Beast in the Cellar

Tom’s Dapedium

Tom and Jack Loughlin went fossil hunting with Museum education officer, Chris Andrew on the remains of the May 2008 landslip at Church Cliffs. Tom decided to try and break a large slab of laminated rock. Unknown to Tom, the slab came from Lang’s Fish Beds, so called for the quality rather than the quantity of fish fosssils found in them. The slab cracked and Tom realised that it had broken across the flattened remains of afish called Dapedium. This was well spotted because the fossilized layer was extremely thin and Tom could only see its edge with its characteristic cross-section.

To compound Tom’s luck, on preparation by Dave Costin it was discovered that the specimen was a small rare species of Dapedium. The Dapedium is currently on show (May 2011) in the Museum and is shown above.