The East of England is a land of fossil superlatives. The Fossil Detectives’ journey through the East starts with one of the most important recent British fossil discoveries, made in an unlikely looking brick quarry just outside Peterborough.
Here over two thousand fragments of bone have been found; all from just one creature. The remains are the most complete specimen ever found of Leedsichthys, the largest fish ever to have lived. Dig leader Jeff Liston now has the monumental task of reassembling this monster from the deep.
Fossils are all around us - to find them you just need to know where to look; they can even be literally on your doorstep. Gravel drives are a familiar feature of any town or village, and are a surprisingly good place to find fossils.
Open University fossil expert Peter Sheldon has met up with Hermione and some local children to go fossil hunting on just such a gravel drive. In a very short amount of time they’ve collected a huge pile of sponges; a sort of extinct oyster known as devil’s toenails; and belemnites.
In Norfolk, Hermione gets the chance to see the world’s most complete and largest elephant skeleton ever found. When alive, the West Runton Elephant, named after the dig location, would have been twice the weight of the biggest African Elephant and over four metres tall. And intriguingly, close examination of the bones provide tantalising glimpses of how the animal lived its life, and how and why it eventually died.
The Fossil Detectives also reveal the mesmerising beauty and mystery of nature’s time-capsule Amber; have a fossil collecting challenge at Britain’s most unusual cliffs; and on the way find out which fossil links Alfred Lord Tennyson to a Pope.
Take it further
Explore the 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:
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OU on the BBC: Fossil Detectives - About the series
Discover how we'll be decoding the secrets of the past. Find out more about the series.
Read nowOU on the BBC: Fossil Detectives - About the seriesLevel: 1 Introductory
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OU on the BBC: Fossil Detectives - the programmes
From the South of England, over to Wales and up to Scotland - explore fossils across the UK, with some famous fossil collectors.
Read nowOU on the BBC: Fossil Detectives - the programmesLevel: 1 Introductory
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OU on the BBC: Fossil Detectives - favourite fossil
Meet the Fossil Detectives team - and friends - and hear about the fossils which mean a lot to them. And why not share your own videos with us.
Read nowOU on the BBC: Fossil Detectives - favourite fossilLevel: 1 Introductory
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Favourite fossil: Share your video
You've heard about the team's favourite fossils - now why not share yours with us?
Read moreFavourite fossil: Share your video -
Tym the Trilobite
How better to understand what fossils can tell us than by listening to one's inner thoughts? Meet Tym the Trilobite.
Read nowTym the TrilobiteLevel: 1 Introductory
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Close-up with a fossil: The crinoid
Hermione Cockburn examines a crinoid fossil.
Watch nowClose-up with a fossil: The crinoidLevel: 1 Introductory
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