In the News: Predatory cockroach from dinosaur era found trapped in amber

From New Scientist: Predatory cockroach from dinosaur era found trapped in amber

This exotic, praying-mantis-like cockroach that lived at the same time as dinosaurs was caught in amber about 100 million years ago. It is part of a new family of extinct predatory cockroaches that hunted at night.

Peter Vršanský from the Geological Institute in Bratislava, Slovakia, and Günter Bechly from the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, Germany, who examined the insect, say its long neck, which allows the head to rotate freely, and unusually long legs, suggest that it actively pursued prey. The fossilised insect, called Manipulator modificaputis, was discovered at a mine in Noije Bum, Myanmar.

Read More

Lego Arthropleura armata

Arthropleura armata is an extinct, large Carboniferous millipede. Here it is recreated in Lego at Brick2014.

DeviantArt page of the creator

Lyme Regis Fossil Festival

I have been appallingly bad at keeping things up-to-date here, so this post comes from the distant past (the end of April this year could be a century ago in the blogosphere).

Lyme Regis is famous for its association with many fossils and fossil collectors. Among the collectors the most famous is Mary Anning, whose grave is in the village and can be visited (the organisers of the festival left a wreath on her grave).

As an unofficial delegation to the Fossil Festival (our frieds were more directly involved) we managed to spend a day collecting fossils with Phil from the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre (a friend of ours who used to work at the NHM).

Walking along the beach from Charmouth to Lyme Regis we collected various ammonites, belem

nites, a bivalve and what is (possibly) a fish skull.

Meanwhile in the marquee there was a hive of activity, stalls selling various fossils and minerals, art and craft activities for children, and a whole bunch of scientists and science educators from the NHM.

As well as various palaeontological activities Alessandro and Martin from the NHM's Entomology Department were there talking about insects alongside members of Butterfly Conservation.

There are some more photos of the event in my Flickr set Lyme Regis 2010.

Fossil Phasmids in Amber

I'm currently in Champaign, Illinois. I will post some details of my activities in the next few days. In the meantime, have a look at these photos. Original source here.