Palaeontological Association Field Guide to Fossils, No 11

Edited by N K Clarkson, David A T Harper, Cecilia M Taylor and Lyall I Anderson

The Pentland Hills in Scotland yield a large number of Silurian marine fossils, many of which are housed in UK museums, including the British Geology Survey in Edinburgh, the national museums of Scotland, the Natural History Museum in London, the Lapworth Museum at Birmingham University, and the Sedgwick Museum in Cambridge.

Although these fossils are only found within a small area of the Pentland Hills, the formations are extremely rich in fossils. The majority of these are preserved as moulds.

Silurian Fossils of the Pentland Hills, Scotland examines exposures along the North Esk River, Henshaw Burn, Deerhope Burn and Wether Law Linn. The text also details the history of research into the area, and its localities and geology.

And, as is usual with PalAss publications, it is also packed with 150 pages of fossils, including clear photography of your potential finds. In this respect, the guide is set out in a series of chapters by different experts in the relevant fields, covering the different groups of animals that appear in the fossil fauna in the area.

In fact, it is mainly intended as a guide to identification of fossils from this area and is well worth getting if you are interested in this area and Silurian fossils. Even if you are not, like all PalAss guides, it is a beautifully produced book and certalnly worth owning.

Silurian Fossils of the Pentland Hills, Scotland: Guide no 11, edited by N K Clarkson, David A T Harper, Cecilia M Taylor and Lyall I Anderson, The Palaeontological Association (2007), 218 pages (paperback), ISBN: 978-14-05177-15-3