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> Home > Out & About > Classic Sites: Scotland’s Wonderful Fossil HeritageFossils are the remains or traces of once-living animals and plants and range from microscopic pollen grains to dinosaurs. Fossils are found mostly in sedimentary rocks that represent accumulations of sand, silt and mud laid down in ancient marine, lagoon, river and lake environments.
Torridonian
sedimentary rocks near Ullapool in the north-west of Scotland, the location
of Scotland’s oldest known fossils. It is possible to find fossils in sea cliffs and beaches, within and alongside
river and stream sections, and in quarries, where natural erosion or human
activity has exposed the layers of sedimentary rock. The rich and diverse fossil
heritage of Scotland spans at least 800 million years of Earth history. Scotland
has yielded the world’s oldest known vertebrate (a primitive fish) , some
of the earliest amphibian and reptile remains, some of the oldest known plants,
the oldest known insect, and some of the earliest mammal remains. Scotland’s
fossil heritage has therefore had a crucial role in the study of plant and
animal evolution. There is no doubt that important discoveries will continue
to be made. |
