Dinosaurs ...... in Cuckfield? Yes, dinosaurs were in Cuckfield!!
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| Iguanodon (source: Pixabay) |
The ancient stone quarries to the north of the village, especially Whitemans Green, are renowned as the locations where some of the most significant early dinosaur fossil discoveries in the world were made.
Gideon Mantell, who had been born in Lewes in 1790, son of a shoemaker, He became interested in geology in his youth and was often to be found exploring pits and quarries in the surrounding areas. He made fascinating discoveries: ammonites, sea urchin shells, fish bones, coral, and the remnants of ancient animals. He had been inspired by Mary Anning, a pioneering palaeontologist and fossil collector, who had made a remarkable discovery in Lyme Regis, Dorset. She unearthed the fossilized remains of an animal that initially resembled a massive crocodile in the early 1800s.
Recognizing the limited knowledge about prehistory, Mantell, who was in the area in 1822, was determined to learn more. Sandstone was being extracted at the quarry for road construction. Mantell persuaded the quarry worker to provide him with all the fossils they discovered. He made a groundbreaking discovery: fossil teeth that he later identified as belonging to an iguana-like creature. He named this dinosaur Iguanodon.
Iguanodon, with its massive herbivorous lifestyle, became one of the iconic dinosaurs of the Early Cretaceous period, thanks to the keen observations and persistence of Gideon and his wife, Mary Ann Mantell.
His work on Iguanodon and the eventual identification of its skeleton marked the beginning of scientific dinosaur research. Mantell went on to discover three more of the dinosaur genera in Cuckfield during his lifetime: hylaeosaurus, pelorosaurus and regnosaurus. Many of his finds can be seen in the British Museum.
Mantell’s contributions to paleontology helped expand our understanding of prehistory and left a lasting legacy in the scientific community.
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I am so happy that when I popped by, this was the very first post. I LOVED dinosaurs as a kid and I still do! I used to have all kinds of dino toys and even did a school project on them. To this day, I still enjoy learning more about them.
ReplyDeleteHow lucky you are to have dinosaurs in your Place. This was really interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteYour research covers a huge time span - thanks for sharing an exciting discovery
ReplyDeleteDinosaurs are a fascinating addition and Gideon Mantell and his wife sound most interesting characters - interesting that the pursuit of knowledge not confined to the gentry.
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