- Joined
- Nov 19, 2002
- Messages
- 3,031
The purpose of Bits 'n Pieces is to relate non-cephalopod fossil stories of interest. If anyone comes across any interesting news items, then this is the place for them. Invertebrate and/or marine news items are preferred, but anything goes!
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Non-ceph but (hopefully) of interest:
Following last Mondays episode of Big Monster Dig on Channel 4 whereby the team excavated the largest recorded specimen of the giant Jurassic fish Leedsichthys, here is a quite interesting account of the excavation with a few nice photographs. Leedsichthys is estimated to have grown up to 30m, and is known from the Oxford Clays, as far as I know all specimens recorded so far come from a clay pit near Peterborough in the UK and date from 155mya. The fish was a filter feeder and probably had a spine composed of cartilage, so far only the mineralised head and tail have been found:
Big Monster Dig: Leedsichthys
On another note, UK readers may be interested in this programme which I believe is to air on BBC1 sometime in October. It is the latest in the "Walking With...." series and is entitled "Swimming With Sea Monsters", and appears to be another special episode (or two) with a presenter taking a plunge into the Mesozoic oceans. Doubtless he will be snapped at by pliosaurs and ichthyosaurs, though we are also promised a sea scorpion which should be interesting. Lets hope Liopleurodon is shown realistically this time, the 25m version shown in Dinosaurs was far too big....
Those not in the UK (most of you!) should be able to catch the programmes on Discovery at some point as so far all the Walking With.... series have been shown on that channel. Book details here:
Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Predators of the Deep Book
Will post transmission dates when I can find out.
_____________________________________________________________
Non-ceph but (hopefully) of interest:
Following last Mondays episode of Big Monster Dig on Channel 4 whereby the team excavated the largest recorded specimen of the giant Jurassic fish Leedsichthys, here is a quite interesting account of the excavation with a few nice photographs. Leedsichthys is estimated to have grown up to 30m, and is known from the Oxford Clays, as far as I know all specimens recorded so far come from a clay pit near Peterborough in the UK and date from 155mya. The fish was a filter feeder and probably had a spine composed of cartilage, so far only the mineralised head and tail have been found:
Big Monster Dig: Leedsichthys
On another note, UK readers may be interested in this programme which I believe is to air on BBC1 sometime in October. It is the latest in the "Walking With...." series and is entitled "Swimming With Sea Monsters", and appears to be another special episode (or two) with a presenter taking a plunge into the Mesozoic oceans. Doubtless he will be snapped at by pliosaurs and ichthyosaurs, though we are also promised a sea scorpion which should be interesting. Lets hope Liopleurodon is shown realistically this time, the 25m version shown in Dinosaurs was far too big....
Those not in the UK (most of you!) should be able to catch the programmes on Discovery at some point as so far all the Walking With.... series have been shown on that channel. Book details here:
Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Predators of the Deep Book
Will post transmission dates when I can find out.