BEDFORD MUSEUM

Fossils are the remains or traces of plants and animals that lived more than ten thousand years ago. The most commonly found fossils are the remains of marine creatures. This is because an animal must be buried to become a fossil and this is most likely to happen to a creature in water. Mud is constantly being washed into rivers and then into the sea. This mud can bury dead sea creatures and preserve their hard parts. Flesh and other soft parts are quickly eaten or rot away and so are seldom preserved.

Invertebrates are the most commonly found fossils. This reflects the abundance of these animals. Generally, however, only their hard parts are preserved. Some soft-bodied creatures have left no trace of their existence behind them.

Some of the most spectacular fossil remains found in Bedfordshire are those of the giant marine reptiles. These can be grouped into four main types; crocodiles, ichthyosaurs, pliosaurs and plesiosaurs. The seas that covered Bedfordshire were also home to a wide variety of fish and several species of shark.

To find out more about the different types of fossil click on the boxes to your left.

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