Ballanucater
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Palaeozoic Palaeobotany | Favourable | — | 2009-08-13 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Devonian
Description
BALLANUCATER Ballanucater is 4km northwest of the village of Thornhill, in Stirlingshire. This site exposes sediments of the Strathmore Group, sandstones and mudstones of Emsian age (Lower Devonian, around 390 million years ago) which contain fossil plant materialis of national importance. Although not large, the fossilized specimens yield finely preserved cuticles and vascular tissues, giving valuable information on the anatomy of the plants. It is the last surviving British locality from which this important fossil flora can be obtained in this mode of preservation. The site is also of historical interest, since it provided the material on which the pioneering work on this flora by S M K Henderson and W H Lang was mainly based.