Virtual Fossils from 425 Million-year-old Volcanic Ash

A set of exceptionally preserved but difficult-to-extract fossils reveals the diverse creatures from a Silurian sea-floor community

Derek E. Briggs, Derek J. Siveter, David J. Siveter, Mark D. Sutton

More to Come?

Our research on the Herefordshire deposit continues. Many more fossils remain to be described: sponges, worms, a diversity of arthropods (including a trilobite with preserved appendages), more brachiopods, mollusks and echinoderms, and, perhaps most exciting, a number of enigmatic forms that we cannot yet identify.

We are continuing to explore ways to present our findings, too. For example, we have fabricated physical models of these fossils using what engineers refer to as rapid-prototyping techniques. One system entails the use of a "3D printer," which can construct a replica of the fossil based on the computer reconstruction by fusing powdered plastic resin with a laser beam. In the future, we hope to use this technique to produce museum dioramas showing this Silurian seafloor community.

Although the Herefordshire fossils are unique, it seems unlikely that they will remain so. Somewhere in another ash deposit, other concretions must harbor similarly extraordinary fossils, perhaps of a different age, perhaps containing other vital clues to the history of life. Anyone with curiosity enough to split open a lump of rock might stumble on such a treasure trove. Please let us know if you do!

Bibliography

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