Tayside Fossils
Last updated | 06/06/2011
Tayside Fossils
A multitude of fascinating fossils have been found in Tayside and
many are kept within the collections at Perth Museum and Art
Gallery. Among the most important specimens are fossil fish such as
Securiaspis waterstoni from Bridge of Allan, the
small predator
Mesacanthus mitchelli and
Homocanthus arcatus known from only three other specimens.
Most of the fossil fish are from a time known as the Devonian
Period (416-359 million years ago) when the area that would become
Scotland was under the ocean. The collection not only has fish but
also eurpterids (sea-scorpions), ammonites and a variety of
fossilized plants.
Numerous fossils from the time known as 'The Great Ice Age' (from 2
million years ago until roughly 10,000 years ago) have been found
throughout Tayside and include some large and spectacular
specimens. The museum has the skulls of auroch (the ancestor of
today's cattle), bison and the antlers of elk and red deer. Perhaps
one of the more unusual fossil remains is a beaver skull apparently
found near Blairgowrie. Fossilized beaver remains are quite
rare and it is thought that although this beaver may have come from
Scotland it may not be from Perthshire after all.
