Isle of Wight Fossil Hunting
The Isle of Wight is world-renowned for its dinosaurs
- many fossils have been discovered on the Isle.
"No other area of comparable size in England has such a variety of formations in easily accessible exposures and containing such a diversity and abundance of fossils.”
(Alan Insole, Brian Daley & Andy Gale. 1998. The Isle of Wight. Geologists’ Association Guide No.60. London)
Dinosaurs found on the Isle of Wight includeEotyrannusIguanodonNeovenatorHypsilophodonBarnes High Sauropodmany types of TheropodsSauropods
Below is an Isle of Wight Geological Map
“The Isle of Wight has been involved in the history of dinosaur palaeontology since 1829, when the
first Iguanodon material was described by Dean William Buckland from Yaverland Point, near Sandown.
The most famous dinosaur hunter in the history of the Isle of Wight is the Reverend William Fox
(1813-1881), who although was not a professional scientist, he was curate at St. Helens church in
Brighstone village (then known as Brixton) during the mid-19th century…
Fox, who was aquainted with the likes of John Hulke (1830-1895) and Richard Owen, had easy access to Brighstone Bay from his home, Myrtle Cottage in Brighstone, and so spent many an hour collecting fossils,
much to the detriment of his parishioners; in fact, it was said of him at the time, by the wife of the vicar,
that it was "always bones first and the parish next".
He is also quoted as having written in a letter to Sir Richard Owen "I cannot leave this place while I have any money left to live on, I take such deep [sic] in hunting for old dragons", making it quite obvious this was a man obsessed. It was this devotion to fossil hunting that has made him an example of the vital role played by amateur palaeontologists not only on the island, but all over the world, which has carried on to this day, and it is due to this that he is the Englishman who has had more dinosaurs named after him than any other.” (from www.dinowight.org.uk/history.html)
“Brighstone Bay is famous for the partial Sauropod Skeleton found by Portsmouth University. Reptile and Dinosaur remains are often found along this costline.” (from www.ukfossils.co.uk/iow.htm)
