Kirtlington Quarry facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
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| Area of Search | Oxfordshire |
|---|---|
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 3.1 hectares (7.7 acres) |
| Notification | 1986 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Kirtlington Quarry is a really special place in Oxfordshire, England. It's a protected area because of its amazing geology, which means it's important for studying rocks and the Earth's history. This site is known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and also a Local Nature Reserve.
It covers about 3.1 hectares (that's like 7.7 football fields!). This old quarry is super important to scientists because it holds clues about what life was like millions of years ago.
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Discovering Ancient Life at Kirtlington Quarry
Kirtlington Quarry is famous for its incredible fossil discoveries. It's one of only five places in the entire world where we can find Middle Jurassic mammals! This makes it a truly unique spot for understanding Earth's past.
A Peek into the Jurassic Period
The fossils found here date back to the Bathonian age, which was about 150 million years ago. Imagine a time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth! The rocks at Kirtlington Quarry are part of something called the Forest Marble Formation. This formation tells us that the area was likely a warm, shallow sea or a coastal plain back then.
Amazing Mammal Fossils
Scientists have found a huge variety of ancient mammals here. These include nine different kinds of early mammals, like therians and prototherians. These were tiny, shrew-like creatures, some of the very first mammals to exist! There's also a tritylodontid, which was a mammal-like reptile. Finding so many different types of these early mammals in one place is incredibly rare.
Other Prehistoric Creatures
But it's not just mammals! Kirtlington Quarry has also given us fossils of many other fascinating creatures from the Jurassic period. You can find evidence of:
- Theropod dinosaurs: These were meat-eating dinosaurs, like the famous T-Rex, though the ones here would have been smaller.
- Crocodilians: Ancient relatives of today's crocodiles and alligators.
- Pterosaurs: Flying reptiles, often called "flying dinosaurs," though they weren't technically dinosaurs.
- Fishes: Many different kinds of fish that swam in the ancient waters.
- Shark teeth: Proof that sharks were hunting in these waters millions of years ago!
These fossils help scientists piece together what the environment was like and what animals lived together in the Jurassic period. It's like a giant puzzle, and Kirtlington Quarry provides many important pieces!
