Cynwyd Forest Quarry
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Ordovician
Description
Description The Scientific Interest of this site, in technical terms may be defined as follows:- Geological Interest. An outstanding locality of national importance for its faunas of Ordovician age. The sediments here are of Rawtheyan age and they contain one of the richest assemblages of shelly fossils known from the British late Ordovician, including eighteen species of trilobites, bryozoans, brachiopods, pelmatozoan echinoderms and rare grapolites. The trilobites occur in states of completeness and preservation which are exceptional and of great scientific value. The locality's palaeontology, in terms of both species diversity and preservation, is the most prolific in late Rawtheyan strata anywhere in the historic Ordovician type area. In laymans terms, however, this may be interpreted more generally, and such a description follows. The following statement should not be taken as being definitive, and any queries as to details of the locality should be addressed to the Countryside Council for Wales. This locality yields the most varied and well-preserved fauna of Rawtheyan (late Ordovician) shelly fossils anywhere in Wales, and is consequently of national importance for the study of the palaeontology and geological history of North Wales during late Ordovician times, approximately 440 million years ago. In particular, the excellent state of preservation of the fossil trilobites which occur invests this site with considerable palaeontological importance.