search for fossils in Dorset

The Jurassic Coast of Dorset is a haven for fossil hunting for beginners and experienced fossil hunters. The 150 km (95 miles) stretch of the coast of Dorset and East Devon covers 185 million years of Earth's history and has won a World Heritage Site.

Pliosaur ruins are located in Dorset

November and April are usually the best times to search for fossils in Dorset, as this is the time, such as mudslides and rock falls to expose fresh materialKeen to explore. Recently, 25 large pieces of a fossil have been collected by Mr. Sheehan, a local amateur collector of fossils, paleontologists identified as pliosaur. Only one fragment was missing from the front of the jaw. The measurement of marine reptiles in the range of 10-16 meters lived about 140 million years ago and it was believed, was so powerful that he could bite a car in half.

The very rare to find in almost perfect condition, was bought by Dorset CountyCouncil for £ 20,000 with the money form the Heritage Lottery Fund. David Tucker, county museums adviser, said: "Our goal was to fossils along the Jurassic Coast and museums in the region will buy - we want to provide truly exceptional fossils in museums." Experts believe that this new discovery could be one of the largest ever found pliosaurs.

The search for fossils on the Jurassic Coast

The discovery of the fish pliosaurpeople's imagination and discover the joys of fossil hunting along our coast of Dorset. If you want to try fossil hunting for the first time, it is recommended that, initially, the weather forecast and tide tables. high tides and waves, the fossil record, but these conditions can be dangerous. In this time of year is warm jackets, waterproof clothing and sturdy shoes and have to wait for the tide is coming before you.

The rocks around LymeRegis contain many well-preserved fossils and the safest place to hunt for fossils, the beach is not the cliff. If you are a novice collector, it's nice to see what others experienced fossil hunters do, where to look and what type of rock that are interested in seeing how you try and break the rocks and learn, probably the types of rocks are fossils included.

There is a collection of fossils Code of Practice, that most of our coast here in WestDorset. The golden rule is, you can continue to contain fossils found on the beach or in material that has already broken away from the cliff, but you should not dig or chip away at the reef for safety reasons, and others. The code can be viewed on the site of Jurassic Coast.

If you come to something unusual or interesting, take them to the Heritage Coast Center in Charmouth seafront. The experts can assess and identify your search.

Who knows, perhaps discover that theBack pliosaur missing part!