Blog (Fossil Friday) - Jurassic Coast

If you’ve ever been to Lyme Regis, you’ll have probably heard of Mary Anning – in fact, the museum you visit to find out more about the fossils and the Jurassic Coast is her former home. She’s one of Dorset’s best known exports, especially in the palaeontology field but how much do you know about her?

Do you enjoy engaging with visitors and telling them about the heritage, stories and fossils of the Jurassic Coast?

It is no surprise that one of the major draws to the Jurassic Coast is fossil hunting. A popular activity for all ages that sparks a day of adventure from complete beginners to expert collectors.

As enormous three-toed, meat-eating dinosaurs roamed a shallow swamp environment around what is now Swanage, preying upon large plant-eating sauropod dinosaurs, around 140 million years ago, they left traces of their existence.   These dinosaur footprints were left by members of the Megalosauridae family (likely Megalosaur) during a period known as the Lower Cretaceous.

When the giant front flippers, or "paddles €, of a prehistoric sea dragon called an ichthyosaur, were found on a beach in Lyme Regis, it was a very exciting scientific discovery. Not only was the fossil huge in size, but experts were convinced the rest of the creature was still buried under the rocks.

All of us here at the Jurassic Coast Trust are really looking forward to Dippy 's arrival in Dorchester next February. Here are 8 incredible Dippy Facts that you should know before going to visit him in Dorchester!