St James' Pit
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TG241094 | — | Favourable | 3.47 | 2021-11-15 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Cretaceous · Rock Type: Chalk
Description
Description St. James’ Pit, Norwich, is well known for its Upper Cretaceous mosasaur fossil remains. Mosasaurs, a large marine reptile, is relatively uncommon within British Cretaceous strata. St. James' Pit however, has yielded teeth and individual bones, including jaw and vertebrae, belonging to two mosasasaur genera, Mosasaurs and Leiodon. The remaining unexcavated chalk sequence within St. James’ Pit is regarded as having the best potential for future mosasasaur finds with the British Cretaceous. St. James’ pit is therefore a key locality for the future taxonomic and evolutionary study of Upper Cretaceous mosasaurs.