Birdshill Quarry
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Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Rock Type: Limestone
Description
Description A richly fossiliferous section of the lower Ashgill Birdshill Limestone. This is the type locality for several species of trilobites, brachiopods and bivalves. It is unique as a conodont-bearing horizon in the Welsh lower Ashgill, for rocks of this age are poorly represented. A site with a key biostratigraphic fauna. In layman's terms, the interest of this site may be expressed more simply, and such a statement is provided below. This should not be taken as definitive and further information as to details of the interest can be obtained from the Nature Conservancy Council. Geologists have recognised the quarry exposures at Birdshill to be of great importance for nearly 150 years. Detailed study of the fossils collected from this locality has provided valuable information on the forms of life which existed some 425 million years ago when these limestones were deposited. During that period of geological time much of this area was covered by a shallow sea inhabited by a variety of animals such a trilobites (a group of primitive arthropods which are now extinct), brachiopods and bivalves. More recent investigations have revealed the presence of microfossils, know as conodonts, which have helped geologists to determine accurately the age of these strata and which allow the section at Birdshill to be compared with rocks of a similar age in America and Sweden.