The Devonian

This is a fossil trilobite - trilobite fossils are quite common and easy to recognise. This one was found in Germany in rocks that formed towards the beginning of the Devonian period.

Trilobites are an extinct group of arthropod - animals with jointed exoskeleton like crabs, shrimps and lobsters.

These are fossil gastropods (snails) that lived in the sea. They were found in Germany in rocks that formed just over 380 million years ago.

This a mass of fossil brachiopods. Although they look like the shells of bivalve molluscs like cockles and mussels, they are actually from very different animals. These specimens were found in Devon.

This is part of a branch of a fern-like plant. It was found near Kiltorcan in Ireland in sandstone rocks that formed towards the end of the Devonian period.

These are the fossilised remains of a fish called Pteraspis. They were found in the Welsh borders and Herefordshire in rocks that formed at the beginning of the Devonian period, about 400 million years ago.

Pteraspis did not look much like the fish we see today. It had no jaws, and its head and upper body were covered in bony plates.

These are the bony remains of a fish called Bothriolepis. It was found in Canada (its full name is actually Bothriolepis canadensis) in rocks that formed at the end of the Devonian period, about 360 million years ago.

Bothriolepis was quite an unusual looking fish. Its head and upper body were covered in bony plates. Instead of fins, it had jointed 'paddles' on the sides of its body, allowing it to swim, and possibly 'walk' on the bottom of lakes and rivers.

These are the bony remains of a fish called Ptericthyodes, pictured below. It was found in Morayshire in Scotland in rocks that formed in the middle of the Devonian period.

Ptericthyodes was quite an unusual looking fish. Its head and upper body were covered in bony plates. Some people say it was quite an ugly looking fish - what do you think?

The Devonian

This is a fossil crinoid or sea lily. Sea lilies are echinoderms - they are related to starfish and sea urchins.

This fossil was found in Germany where it lived just over 380 million years ago.

Do you know what these fossils are?

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