Loch Humphrey Burn
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Palaeozoic Palaeobotany | Favourable | — | 2009-04-02 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Carboniferous
Description
Loch Humphrey Burn Loch Humphrey Burn lies approximately 2 km north of Old Kilpatrick and illustrates a sequence of Tournaisian and Visean plant beds preserved between lavas that contain both petrifactions and compressions. The floras are dominated by pteridosperms and progymnosperms, and include several endemic species. Of particular interest are the multiovular pteridosperm cupules Calathospermum, Geminitheca and Alcicornopteris, which are more abundant and better preserved here than at any other locality. It is the best-known site for correlating the anatomy with the gross morphology of plants of this age, approximately 340 million years old, and provides a valuable opportunity to develop a full restoration of these important species. This is a site of international standing for Lower Carboniferous palaeobotany.