LATEST NEWS: We had a lovely study tour to Germany. Beautiful spring weather the whole time except the journeys to and from Wilmslow and Hull! Click on the sidebar photo of Archaeopteryx to see a picture album of the trip.
2nd to 15th May 2006
Day School 21st January 2006
led by Dr Paul Selden & Dr John Nudds
The University of Manchester and
The Natural History Museum
The south-western part of Germany is blessed with more than its fair share of geological localities which yield exceptionally well-preserved fossils. The world’s most famous fossil, Archaeopteryx, the classic example of a ‘missing link’ between reptiles and birds, comes from the lithographic limestone quarries near Solnhofen, Bavaria. Indeed, Germany coined the word Fossil-Lagerstätte, which translates roughly to ‘fossil bonanza’, to describe such instances of exceptionally high quality fossil beds. In addition to Archaeopteryx, the Solnhofen Limestone also preserves other flying animals such as dragonflies and pterosaurs, commingled with sea creatures like ammonites, lobsters, and horseshoe crabs, in some cases preserved at the end of a ‘death trail’ when they were washed by storms into saline lagoons.
Also in this area is the Jurassic site of Holzmaden, famous for its sea life, including giant crinoids (sea-lilies), squid with ink-sacs, ammonites (see back cover), plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs, the last in some cases preserved in the act of the birth of live young.
At Messel near Darmstadt, ancient lake deposits, once quarried for oil shale, have provided a unique glimpse into the life during the Eocene epoch, when mammals had rapidly diversified following the demise of the dinosaurs. Mammals from Messel include extinct bipedal forms, tiny horses with their gut contents preserved, and even bats. In addition to mammals there are early frogs, snakes, birds and even beetles showing iridescent colours. Not surprisingly, the Messel pit is a UN World Heritage Site.
South-west Germany is perhaps better known for another UN World Heritage Site: the scenic Rhine Gorge. Between Bingen and Koblenz, the Rhine carves its way through ancient Devonian slate mountains: the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge. In these mountains to the south-west of the Rhine are the Hunsrück slate quarries that have yielded some spectacular fossils preserved in iron pyrite, which were studied in the 1960s using x-rays.
THE STUDY TOUR begins with an overnight crossing from Hull to Rotterdam in comfortable cabins. We then drive across Belgium and into Germany, reaching Bad Kreuznach in the Hunsrück Slate Mountains for a three-night stay. We shall visit old slate quarries and museums in this region, and have a full-day excursion by train to the Rhine Valley for a river cruise. After a morning spent on a nature trail in these delightful mountains, we drive to Darmstadt for a two-night stay.
From Darmstadt we visit the famous Messel site and museums, and then travel through scenic countryside via Rothenburg to the lovely Altmühl Valley and Eichstätt for a three-night stay. In this region we have the opportunity to collect fossils from the famous Solnhofen quarries and see one of the half-dozen known specimens of Archaeopteryx. We also take a day excursion to the meteorite impact crater of Nördlingen.
Leaving Eichstätt, we tour through the limestone hills, gorges and volcanic craters of the Swabian Alb to reach Bad Boll for a two-night stay. Here we visit the Holzmaden quarries and museums and, on our departure day, stop for the morning in Stuttgart to see the wonderful displays in the Museum am Löwentor. We have one more night in Bad Kreuznach before returning by the same route to Wilmslow.
The leaders’ book on the subject: Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems. Manson Publishing, London, will be available to examine and purchase at the Day School.
THE DAY SCHOOL will consist of lecture sessions supported by colour slides and displays of maps and specimens. The lectures will cover the geological setting and scenery of south-west Germany, the fossil sites, the spectacular finds they have yielded, and their importance in unraveling the history of life on Earth.
The Day School will be held on Saturday 21st January 2006, at the Wilmslow Guild, 1 Bourne Street, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5HD. Participants are invited to arrive in time for coffee at 10·30 a.m. The Day School will finish at 3·30 p.m. The fee of £25 includes tuition, coffee, lunch and tea. Cheques for the full amount (no fee reductions) should be made payable to the Wilmslow Guild and sent to the address above. Early booking is advisable; no tickets will be issued on the day.