A nice example of a bone block with bones from an ichthyosaur from the world-famous Jurassic Coast beach of Lyme Regis, Dorset UK.
The piece or Jurassic shale matrix measures 200 mm (7.87 inches) across and contains several bones from a juvenile ichthyosaur. There are nine vertebrae and one coracoid (shoulder bone) in the shale. This is an unusual association of bones and suggests the animal was scattered on the seafloor prior to being fossilised.
The level of preservation in the bones is exquisite - they are perfect down to the tiniest level of detail. One of the vertebrae is the atlas-axis complex, which is the first two vertebrae behind the head of the animal that are fused together. It is unusual to find this bone in an association like this. The top of the coracoid was broken off when the fossil was exposed before being found. They also have a lovely dark colour distinctive of bone from this location. The vertebrae measure 15-16 mm and the coracoid measures 37 mm, meaning the animal was a juvenile when it died.
It is had to find blocks with multiple bones in like this one, and each shows a snapshot of the seafloor in the early Jurassic. The bones are well preserved and have been prepared using air abrasive techniques.
The fossil weighs 2280 grams and has some epoxy resin on the back to allow it to be displayed freely standing.
These fossils were first found by pioneering Victorian fossils hunters like Mary Anning. Ichthyosaur bones are very popular fossils from this location.
Around 198 million years old (Sinemurian, Early Jurassic), this fossil would make a wonderful addition to any collection.