'410 million years ago in Scotland: Fossils from the Rhynie chert

Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2004

During July of 2004 the fossil plants and animals found in the Rhynie chert we brought back to life (well, almost!) at the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition in London. The Rhynie Research Group were invited to exhibit their research on the chert and its remarkably preserved biota, and provide a glimpse of what life was like on land 410 million years ago during the Early Devonian period. For further details of the exhibition, click on the link above.

Here are some images taken of the exhibit, including a visit by H.R.H. The Prince of Wales!

Front view of the exhibit, the centrepiece being a diorama showing how the Rhynie area may have looked 410 million years ago.

The exhibitors. From left to right: Dr Stephen Fayers, Dr Nigel Trewin, Miss Ruth Kelman, Dr Clive Rice.

View of the exhibit from the left.

View of the exhibit from the right.

Close-up of the diorama showing life-size models of Asteroxylon, Nothia, Horneophyton, Rhynia and Aglaophyton.

Model of the trigonotarbid arachnid Palaeocharinus.

Model of the euthycarcinoid Heterocrania.

A visit by H.R.H. The Prince of Wales (image provided courtesy of the Royal Society)

Explaining the diorama.

One of the evening functions attended by fellows of the Royal Society.

We would like to thank the Royal Society for their hospitality, Hans Kerp (Palaeobotanical Research Group, University of Münster) for some of the images used on the poster display, and also Stephen Caine who sculpted the models and provided the diorama for the exhibit.