A few fragments from Folkestone

[Phil]

Popped back with a couple of friends to Folkestone yesterday afternoon. I found nothing of particular interest I'm afraid, pretty much everything I picked up was too broken up to bother keeping.

Still, I collected a fragment of a nautilus which is only the second I've ever found there, quite rare. Richard, a friend of mine, found an unusual belemnite which is much larger than the very common Neohibolites minimus and was about twice the diameter. I have not seen one of this size before from the area and am not sure which species it is. It's the larger one in the picture of finds.

 

[Phil]

Here's Richard looking peculiar with a nice ammonite he found, hopefully I'll be able to get a better picture and identify it after he cleans it up. The other picture is yours truly.

The squid picture is an odd one, I assume someone must have dumped their fishing bait into a puddle. Still as this a cephalopod site I just couldn't resist a picture.

Odd to think that in three hours we managed to encounter five orders of cephalopods; ammonites, belemnites, a fossil nautilus, squid and cuttlefish remains. An octopus would have been nice to complete the set; maybe next time...

 

[pocketmoon]

Hi Phil,

Those squid will make a great multiblock in a few million years

Rob

 

[Qthooga]

Nice!

I keep forgetting to ask -- do you have any formal training?

 

[Phil]

Nice!

I keep forgetting to ask -- do you have any formal training?

None whatsoever; I didn't even take biology at school, let alone geology. Although I studied archaeology for my degree course, most of it was Roman and Saxon orientated and nothing whatsoever to do with fossils. After I left I dug on various excavations around the SE of England for three years or so before ending up in the civil service, not really through desire but it paid the bills.

I just try and pick up what I can from textbooks, websites and, of course, reading Kevins posts!

Cheers!

 

[Phil]

Hi Phil,

Those squid will make a great multiblock in a few million years

Rob

We'll report back in a few million....

You know, the Folkestone clays are absolutely swarming with belemnites. Or rather it was. I wonder if 100 million years ago they lay in vast shoals like that having expired after swarming to lay eggs. The sight must have been very similar.

If I remember rightly you came to Folkestone on the trip Roy Shepherd and myself organised, Rob. Did you find any?

 

[pocketmoon]

If I remember rightly you came to Folkestone on the trip Roy Shepherd and myself organised, Rob. Did you find any?

Yes, I had a splendid time Lots of fragments and a few small yet beautiful complete ammonites.

I'm in the progress of putting a sub-site together which will have some pics from that event. Roy has been kind enough to offer members of discoveringfossils webspace and their own unique url.

Cheers,

Rob

 

[spartacus]

Phil, my Mrs has a woolly just like Richard's. You always do your bit for coastal erosion in your Sunday best ?

Keef