Ancient sea creature fossil unearthed in survey

1:23pm Thursday 22nd May 2008

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A 350-million-year-old fossil has been discovered in Herefordshire - proving that the county was once near the South Pole.

The shrimp-like fossil was unearthed by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust (H&WEHT) during a major eight-month geological survey.

Experts belive it could be a new species, which would prove Herefordshire started life near the South Pole about 700 million years ago and has gradually travelled northwards until it reached its present latitude.

The important fossil was discovered in the Wye Gorge, near Ross-on-Wye.

The trust also discovered a site where soft body parts - flimsy legs of sea spiders, eyes of trilobites and even internal body parts - of creatures that lived 425 million years ago have been preserved as fossils. The incredible finds have given scientists insight into many extinct sea creatures.

Moira Jenkins of the trust said: "Many of the rocks in Herefordshire show evidence of the rich variety of creatures that thrived many hundreds of millions of years ago.

"Limestones were formed in clear tropical seas teeming with life. In contrast the red coloured rocks of central Herefordshire were formed on an arid land surface.

"Though fossils are not so common here there are traces of the earliest creatures which moved from the seas to live on land and also the remains of primitive fish.

"Rock layers have been folded and faulted by earth movements. There are examples of submarine channels carved on the edge of the continental slope more than 400 million years ago."

The trust is now seeking funding to continue the project, develop educational programmes and allow the public access to the sites.

To find out more call Moira Jenkins, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust, based at the University of Worcester, on 01905 855184.