The Silurian rocks at Ferriters Cove are well known for their fossils. I found a few easily recognisable ones as I walked round the cove, such as the brachiopod Leptaena and Favosites coral. The fossils can be seen on the surface of the exposed bedrock and also in the numerous broken pieces of rock that lie on the beach.
Some features I am not sure whether they are fossils or not – they look as if they might be trace fossils – evidence of animal activity in the original sediments rather than the remains of the animal itself. These included some some fairly obvious branching linear features that could conceivably be evidence for crab burrows; each “burrow” is a couple of centimetres wide. The other features are more obscure and much smaller and occur as a pair of parallel curving lines rather like miniature army tank tracks. I thought they might be trace fossils of trilobite tracks. You’ll need to click on the images to view the features close-up and make up your own mind.
4 Replies to “Fossils at Ferriters Cove 1”
Excellent Jessica. I’d be useless at distinguishing between fossils and random marks in the rocks. You’ve definitely got your “eye in”.
Some fossils are easy to recognise and identify, especially if there are good guide books to the area. However, the right literature is not always readily available and so problems arise when you come across something that you have not seen before, or if the fossil is only part of something, or orientated in an odd way, or is an internal cast ………
These are fascinating. Yes, some are pretty clear to an untrained eye, but I wouldn’t trust my judgement… Thank heavens you can lead us through it!
I learn as I go … and I’m always open to correction and information.