Strawberry Bank Geological Dig
2019 – Ongoing
In 2019, Geckoella was heavily involved in an important geological dig near Ilminster, Somerset.
The spectacular Lower Jurassic fossils of Strawberry Bank, Ilminster, were discovered by local resident and keen geologist Charles Moore (1815-1881) in the early 1840s. The beds hold ‘nodules’ which contain Jurassic fish and marine reptile bones in a state of exceptional fine preservation. These nodules have enabled the bones to not be compressed over time, meaning the fossils are 3D which is quite rare! Species found include fish, ichthyosaurs, cephalopods, crustaceans and insects.
In 2019, Geckoella teamed up with the BRLSI and palaeontologists from Bristol University with the support of the Dillington Estate to research and excavate the Upper Lias beds at Strawberry Bank to gather samples and make observations of the underlying rocks. The data gathered will help us to better understand the environmental and ecological conditions from 183 million years ago when a worldwide extinction event affected the Jurassic seas. This project is part funded by the Geologists Associations’ Curry fund and is still ongoing.
Links to research papers:
The Strawberry Bank Lagerstätte reveals insights into Early Jurassic life (Williams., et al, 2015).
