OU on the BBC: Fossil Detectives - Central England

Production team

The Fossil Detectives’ adventure starts in the heart of England, a region surprisingly rich in significant fossil discoveries and cutting edge science. At a secret location, in the countryside, the Fossil Detectives have joined a special mission to track down a site of extraordinary fossil preservation, lost to science for a hundred years. Once back in the lab, the team from the British Geological Survey are using scanning electron microscopes to reveal incredibly fine details of these fragile fossils.

The first ever dinosaur in the world to be identified and described was found in Central England just outside Oxford. Hermione’s come to the Oxford University Museum on the trail of the appropriately named killer dinosaur: Megalosaurus. Regular Fossil Detective and dinosaur expert Phil Manning explains the importance of the discovery of Megalosaurus and what links it to the mighty T-rex.

In the rolling hills of Central England lies the beautiful and tranquil Charnwood Forest. Amongst the atmospheric woods are outcrops of the most ancient rocks in England, a staggering 500 million years old. On some of these outcrops are faint, ghostly impressions, now known to be the oldest multi-cellular fossils in Britain: weird plant like animals; experiments in life. But what were these strange creatures and how did they live so long ago?

We also meet the research team who rate grabbing the headlines in The Sun as one of their proudest moments; discover a world famous fossil reserve in the depths of Birmingham’s urban sprawl, and enjoy an exclusive interview at home with Sir David Attenborough about his childhood spent exploring the countryside of Leicestershire on the trail of fossils.

Take it further

Explore OpenLearn's Geology Toolkit

Watch the My Favourite Fossil videos

Study Fossils and the history of life with the Open University

Sample Reading the rocks and ecology - free learning from OpenLearn

First broadcast: Thursday 21 Aug 2008 on BBC FOUR

Fossil Detectives in more depth: