Invertiel Quarry
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Lower Carboniferous [Dinantian - Namurian (part)] | Favourable | — | 2005-03-31 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Limestone
Description
INVERTIEL QUARRY A site showing a thick development of the Lower Carboniferous Charlestown Main Limestone (a rock layer unit within the Lower Limestone Group around 330 million years old). Within this unit can be seen a lateral transition from a biohermal build-up (akin to a modern ‘reef’) into more regularly layered limestone. The fossil fauna of the limestone and overlying shales is extremely diverse, including corals, brachiopods, sponges, molluscs, bryozoa and echinoderms. The site has yielded type (the first recorded occurrence) and figured (pictured/illustrated in scientific publications) specimens for a large number of species from these groups, and is therefore of international significance. The site is particularly important for its fossil crinoids.