From Glasgow to the Star Pit and Stuttgart: a short journey around the world's longest fish

2006·9.3 MB·

by  Jeff Liston

GlaFsRgoOwMNatGurLalAisSt2G00O6W.VTolOumTeH2E4.SPaTrtA4R.PPaIgeTsA59N-7D1S.TUTTGART:ASHORTJOURNEYAROUNDTHE
WORLD’SLONGESTFISH
JeffListon
GrahamKerrBuilding,DivisionofEnvironmentalandEvolutionaryBiology,
FacultyofBiomedicalandLifeSciences,
and
HunterianMuseum,
UniversityofGlasgow,Glasgow,G128QQ
ABSTRACT
TheFerrierFergussonfamilyofGlasgow’sWestEndaremorecommonlyknownfortheirconnectionstothe
Tennantfamily-HenriettaFergussonandhercousinMargaretGalbraithbothmarriedtheTennantbrotherswho
foundedthechemicalcompanyintheirname(Crathome, 1973). ButthesisterofHenrietta,MaryFerrier
Fergusson(or‘Ferry’ asshewasknowntoherfamily),marriedAlfredNicholsonLeedsofEyeburynear
Peterborough,whowastobecomethesinglecollectorofthemostextensivecollectionofJurassicmarinereptiles
ever. AswellassupportingandtoleratingtheinvasionofAlfred’shobbyintotheirlivingspace,Maryalso
assistedhimwiththereconstructionoftheoftenfragmentaryfossilremains. Hereffortsareinparticularnoted,
withregardtothetailofthebonyfishLeedsichthysproblematicus(namedinAlfredLeeds’honour),whichit
tookthem somenine months to glue together from its thousands ofexcavated fragments (Leeds, 1956).
FollowingAlfred’sdeathin1917,Maryrequestedthattheremainderofhiscollectiongotohernativecity,as
partoftheHunterianMuseum’scollections. IncludedwithinthematerialacquiredbytheHunterianfromthe
LeedsfamilyisasingularlycompletespecimenofthefishLeedsichthysproblematicus,whichcurrentlyforms
thebasisofaresearchproject(inpartfinanciallysupportedbytheGlasgowNaturalHistorySociety’sBiodwen
LloydBinnsBequestfund)intotheosteologyofthisanimal. Afterthecommencementofthisproject,anew
specimen was discovered near Peterborough, which has been included within the scope ofthis work.
Nicknamed‘Ariston’,thisspecimenisthefirstsignificantfindofthisanimalinBritaininninetyyears.
INTRODUCTION
The nineteenth century was a crucible for change. From historical assessments ofancient cultures, to
philosophical viewpoints oftheuniverse, many fieldswerebeingcriticallyreassessedinthe lightofnew
understanding. EvenwithintheChurch,voiceswereraisedquestioningtheliteraltruthoftheBible,inthe
controversial 1860 collection of ‘Essays and Reviews’ by a series ofAnglican clerics and theologians
(Blackmore&Page,1989). Newfeatsofengineeringandindustrialisationweresimilarlyparalleledbychanges
intheoriesofthenaturalworld-advancesinmicroscopyhadledtonewstudiesandunderstandingofbiological
tissues(Liston& Sanders,2005). Theexpandingscienceofpalaeontologywas startingtoposeawkward
questionsaboutthenaturalworldintermsnotonlyofthemutabilityofspecies,butalsooftheextinctionof
species-somethingthatdidnotsitcomfortablywiththemajorityofpeople’sreligiousbeliefs, andtheir
perceptionoftheGreatChainofBeing. Thecautiousassertionbyindividualsintheeighteenthcenturythat
someanimalshadbecomeextinct(Rolfe,1985),hadledtotheinstinctivestrivingsofChevalierdeLamarck’s
PhilosophicZoologique(Lamarck, 1809)andRobertChambers’ VestigesoftheNaturalHistoryofCreation
(Chambers, 1845). ButtheseideaswerefinallycogentlyexpressedinDarwin’sOntheOriginofSpeciesby
meansofNaturalSelection,orthePreservationofFavouredRacesintheStruggleforLife(Darwin, 1859).
Darwinhadbeenberatedforthelackofafossilexampleofanintermediateanimalbetweentwogroups(or
‘missinglink’)todemonstratehistheoryoforganicevolution‘inaction’inthefossilrecord-butwithinthree
yearstheLondonspecimenofArchaeopteryxhadbeenrevealedtotheworld,appearingtoprovidejustwhat
Darwinwas lacking (Liston, 2000). Increasingly, the scientific world appearedto be moving towards a
worldviewthathadnoneedofrecoursetoadeityworkingtowardsa‘grandplan’,‘intelligentdesign’or‘final
cause’.
Althoughitreceivedlittlecoverageatthetime,thepublicdebatebetweenArchbishopWilberforce(‘Soapy
Sam’)andThomasHenryHuxleyon30“'June1860attheBritishAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience
meetinginOxfordhassubsequentlycometobeseenassymbolicofsomeofthewrenchingchangesthatthe
Victorianworldwasgoingthroughatthetime. InattackingDarwin’swork,Wilberforceisallegedtohave
sarcasticallyaskedHuxleyifhewasdescendedfromanapeonhismaternalorpaternalgrandparent’sside-
aftercounteringWilberforce’s objections, Huxleythen accusedtheArchbishop ofprostitutinghis giftsof
eloquenceinordertoundermineaseriousscientificdiscussion:foraclergymantobetakensopubliclytotask
wasindeedasignthatSciencewasintheascendancy(Blackmore&Page,1989). Thedebateseemstohave
signalledashiftinfocusawayfromextinctiontoquestionsofdescent. Andasasymbolofthestrugglethat
societywasundergoing,thedebatehasadeeperresonancethanthat,forthefoundationsofitsvenue(thedebate
wasthepublicinaugurationofabuilding-theOxfordUniversityMuseum-paidfor,somewhatironically,with
surplusfundsfromtheUniversityPress’sBibleaccount!(Thomson,2000))weresunkdeepintotheOxfordClay
-oneofthemosthighlyvertebraterichfossilsedimentsoftheBritishIsles,repletewiththeremainsofextinct
animalsawaitingdiscovery.
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THEOXFORDCLAY
TothenortheastofOxford,butstillwithinthissamerichfossiliferoussediment,wasageographicalareain
whichgreatsurgesinknowledgeofancientanimallifeweretobesymbioticallylinkedwithparallelindustrial
development-theFenlandaroundPeterborough. ItbeganwithanauctionedsaleoflandaroundFletton(just
southofPeterborough)-400acresweresoldon23/6/1877,andaseriesofindividualsfromadiversegroupof
tradesdecidedtotrytheirhandatproducingbricksfromthe‘brickclay’ofthisland. Withinfouryears,ithad
beennotedthatthedeeperclayofthePeterborougharea(theLowerOxfordClay,lyingbeneaththesuperficial
callowclaymoretraditionallydug)hadanextremelyhighorganiccontent,whichmeantthatnoadditionalcoal
orcarbonwasneededtobeimportedtofirethebricks-inessence,this‘claythatbums’wasself-firing,andin
removing the need for the additional expense ofshipping in coal for the kilns, Fletton bricks became
significantlycheaper,andthushugelypopular. Itwasthisthatchangedthetrendofclaydiggingfrombeinga
small-scale(oftenfamily-based)seasonalbusiness,toalarge-scaleyearroundindustrialisedprocess. This
meantthatevenmorelandaroundPeterboroughcameupforsale,andthelandscapewasswiftlytransformed,
withforestsofkilnchimneysstrewnacrossthelandscape. Althoughinitiallyexcavatedbyhandwithteamsof
menwielding2metrecrowbars,thisgraduallygavewaywiththeriseindemandfrom 1890toindustrial
machineryandmechanicalexcavators,whichmoreorlessdominatedthefewpitsthatremainedactiveduring
theGreatWar(Hillier,1981).
Byandlarge,itisessentialforhuman(ratherthanmechanised)diggerstobeemployedtodigtheclay,inorder
toobservefossilsastheyappearandpreventthemfrombeingdestroyedduringclayexcavation-asnotedbythe
renownedpalaeontologistW.E.Swinton(intheforewordtoLeeds,1956).Fromthispointofview,theoptimum
historicalperiodforretrievaloffossils,isdefinedbythepeakperiodofclayexcavationfollowingtherealisation
thattheLowerOxfordClayisanexceptionallyusefulforbrickmanufacture(circa1881),untilthetimethatthe
industryswitchestobeingfullymechanised,aroundtheendofthewar(Leeds,1956). Throughoutthisperiod,
onekeyfigurewasabroadinPeterborough,collectingthemarinefaunafromtheJurassicseabedsrepresentedby
theOxfordClay. Hehadcollectedsuchmaterialinearlieryearspriortolarge-scaleexcavation,andnowhewas
poisedtotakeadvantageofthewealthofnewmaterialbeinguncoveredeverydaybythearmiesofclaydiggers
nowemployedintheregion. HisnamewasAlfredLeeds.
ALFREDNICHOLSONLEEDSANDMARYFERRIERFERGUSSON
OnTuesday19thOctober,1875,amarriagetookplaceat11,GrosvenorTerrace(Fig.1),Glasgow,betweenthe
youngdaughterofcitymerchantAlexanderA.Fergusson,andAlfredNicholsonLeedsFig.2),agentleman
farmerlivingonthefenseastofPeterborough. MaryFerrierFergussonwasembarkingonaweddedrelationship
withamandestinedtobecomeoneoftheworld’sgreatestcollectorsoffossilJurassicreptiles. Shewouldalso
be,inequalpart,apreparatorandconservatorofthebonesoftheseanimalsfromtheMiddleJurassicOxford
Clay. Inthetwentyfifthyearoftheirmarriage(asrecordedbythesecondoftheirfivesons,EdwardThurlow
Leeds(Leeds,1956)),theyspentninemonthsincleaningandgluingtogetherthemanythousandsoffragments
thatmadeupthetailofwhatwascertainlythelargesteverbonyfish,Leedsichthys,namedinhonourofher
husband(Fig.4). Herpalaeontologicalcontributionthuswentfarbeyondtheperhapstypicaloneofthewifeofa
palaeontologistinthenineteenthcentury,becausebeyondsimplytoleratingthearrayofdrawersofbonesstrewn
aroundthemanyroomsoftheirhouseinEyebury(Fig.3)(eastofPeterborough)whiletheywerebeingworked
onbyherhusband,shewasanactivesupporterandcollaboratorinhiswork. Indeed,whenAlfredLeedsdiedon
the22"'^August1917,itbecamenecessaryforthefamilytoleaveEyeburysoonafter,andsoshetookahandin
thefinaldisposalofthelastaccumulationofhiscollection,expressingthewishtoThurlowLeedsthatthe
remainderofthecollectionofherdeadhusband(some450marinereptilespecimens),passintothecareofthe
UniversityofGlasgow,hernativecity. ThisledtotheUniversityofGlasgow’sHunterianMuseumbecoming
theownerofthelargestcollectionofJurassicreptilesfromasinglecollectorinBritain,secondonlyinsizetothe
BritishMuseum(NaturalHistory),London.
Thiswasaprodigiousachievement:althoughtheBritishMuseumhad,duringAlfred’slifetime,beenthemain
beneficiaryofhiscollecting,havingfirstrefusalonanyofthematerialthathefound,mostofthematerialthat
theBritishMuseumhaddeclinedhadpassedthroughthehandsofthedealerStiirtzofBonn(between1897and
1911),tospreadnotsimplythroughoutEurope,butaroundtheglobe(Leeds,1956). TheHunterian’sacquisition
ofthisfinalbulkcomponentofhiscollectionmeantthat,innumericaltermsatleast,theHunterianheldthe
largestsinglecollectionofAlfredLeeds’materialintheworld. Bythetimeofthispurchase,theHunterian
Museum,alongwiththerestoftheUniversityofGlasgow,hadmovedfromitsOldCollegecitycentresiteinto
Glasgow’sWestEnd,some5minuteswalkfromwhereAlfredandMaryhadmarried,inMary’sfamily’shome
of11,GrosvenorTerrace,attheheadofByresRoad. Thismeantthatforanyfuturetripsshemadetoseeher
familyinGlasgow,the Museumholdingthecollectionfromovertwentyfiveyearsofherlatehusband’s
collecting,wouldbenearathandtovisit-andindeedtheHunterianMuseum’svisitorbooksrecordoneofher
visitsonthe21"'September1915.
Priortothisfinalsale,however,someconnectionshadalreadyexistedbetweenAlfredLeedsandtheUniversity
ofGlasgow. AfewmodestbatchesoffossilmaterialhadalreadybeenboughtfromLeedsbyProfessorJohn
WalterGregory(seeFig.5),theHeadoftheGeologyDepartment. Gregoryappearstohavefirstcomeinto
contactwiththeLeedsCollectionwhenhestartedworkasanAssistantintheGeologyDepartmentoftheBritish
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Museum(NaturalHistory)in1887(Longwell,1933),duringtheperiodinwhichtheinitialbulkpurchase(The
FirstCollection’)fromAlfredLeedswasarrivinginthatestablishment(Leeds,1956). Gregorylaterbecamethe
firstincumbentoftheChairofGeologyatGlasgowUniversityin 1904. WiththatpostcametheHonorary
Curator-shipinGeologyfortheUniversity’sHunterianMuseum,anditwasafterthisthathearrangedthe
purchasesfortheHunterian’scollections. Includedwithinthesewerearemarkablycompleteskeletonofthe
ichthyosaurOphthalmosaurus,(assembledbyAssistantCuratorWilliamRobertSmellie,Fig.6,sothatitwason
displayintheHunterianMuseumfromaround1916untilthe1970s,seeFig.7),andwhatlaterturnedouttobe
themostcompletespecimenofLeedsichthysevercollected(Liston,1999). Nownicknamed‘BigMeg’(Fig.8),
thisspecimenwasfirstnotedbyAlfredLeedsinalettertoArthurSmithWoodwardinFebruary1913(Leeds,
1913)(Fig.9,Fig.10),andwassoldtotheUniversityofGlasgowinFebruary1915(Liston,2004). Giventhat
AlfredLeedshadtraditionallyofferedfirstrefusalofallhisspecimenstotheBritishMuseum(NaturalHistory)
inLondon,itmayseemstrangethattheBM(NH)didnottaketheopportunitytopurchasethisspecimen,asit
cdooncsuimsetnetdaotfiomnorinetthheanNtHwMiceaptpheearqusantotiitnydiocfatmeattehraitalthaesythhaedirbhooulgohttypaessupbestcainmteianl(sBpeMcNiHmenP6f9r2om1),AlbfurteadrcLheievdasl
2s0o0m4e;fLiifstteeonny&eaNrosee,ar2l0ie0r4)-.aIsnptehceimleignhtthoafttnhiosw,i(tdiessppietrehaitpsssiuzned)ercsatnannodtabbleeetnhtaitretlhyecBonMfiNdeHntmliyglhotcahtaevde(Lleitsttohni,s
particularfish‘getaway’toGlasgow.
‘Meg’iscurrentlythecorespecimenofaresearchprojectbasedattheUniversityofGlasgow,investigatingthe
virtuallyundescribedosteologyofLeedsichthys. Tosupportthisresearch,virtuallyallknownspecimensofthis
taxonhavebeenloanedtoGlasgow,aloanthatwasmadefinanciallypossiblethroughagenerousgrantfromthe
GlasgowNaturalHistorySociety’sBlodwenLloydBinnsBequest. Thebonesofthisanimalarerenownedfor
beingextensive,crushed,brokenandfragmentary. In1889,ArthurSmithWoodwardmadetentativeattemptsto
understanditsskullosteology(Woodward,1889a,1889b,1890),butadmittedeightyearslaterthatbeyondthe
fin-raysofthetailandthesevenandahalfcentimetrelonggillrakers,thatnobonehadbeensatisfactorily
identified(Leeds&Woodward,1897). Itisbelieved,becauseoftheunsegmentedandbifurcatingnatureofthe
finraysinitstail,thatthisfishisamemberoftheFamilyPachycormidae. Indeed,in1916(Woodward,1916),
ArthurSmithWoodwardhimselfstatedwithsomeexcitementthathecouldseearesemblancetoLeedsichthys
b(oBnMesN“HinPmIi1n1i2a6t,urFei”g.in11t)h.e1A.r5gmueatbrleyltohnegbsepsetcciomlelenctoifotnheofpaJucrhayscsiocrmfiosdsiSlaufirsohsstpoemcuismfernosmliteheinHothlezmmaudseenumsshalien
GermanywithsubstantialmaterialfromtheHolzmadenPosidonienschieferorlowerJurassicshaleofsouthern
Germany,andsoacollectionvisittothesemuseums(again,generouslysupportedbyagrantfromtheGlasgow
NaturalHistorySociety’sBlodwenLloydBinnsBequest)becameanessentialpartofthestudy.
Whytrytoseealargenumberofspecimens,asopposedtoonewell-preservedindividual? Thereareanumber
ofreasonswhyacomprehensiveattempttoseeasmanyspecimensaspossibleofthisfamilyofbonyfishes
wouldbevitaltounderstandingtheskeletalanatomyofLeedsichthys,butthecentraloneisthis:theskullbones
ofthesepachycormidsaresothinandinterlockandoverlaptosuchadegree,thatindividualbones(suchas
remainofLeedsichthys)areextremelyhardtodiscern: itisnosurprisethatifonelooksatthesmallerbut
apparently related genus ofSaurostomus from the Holzmaden shales that its skull bones are like silk
handkerchiefs,sothinthatitishardtotellwhichboneislyingontopofwhich(Fig.12). Itisthusonlythrough
examiningspecimensshowingskullsinwidelydifferingdegreesofdisarticulation,thatindividualbones(and
theiroriginswithintheoverallschemeoftheskull)canbedetermined. Thus,afterafewinterestinghintsfrom
otherinstitutionsacrossGermany(inparticularinMiinchenandTubingen),itwasoflittlesurprisethatthemost
importantcluestotheidentitiesofsomeofthegiantskullbonesofLeedsichthyscamefromtheremarkable
Staatliches Museum fur Naturkunde in Stuttgart, with its many specimens of both Pachycormus and
SaurostomusfromtheHolzmadenshale. Forthefirsttime,asaresultofthisexamination,itwasclearthat
bonesextremelysimilartothemaxillary(Fig.13)anddentary(Fig.14)bonesofSaurostomuswerepresentin
largeforminsomeoftheremainsofLeedsichthys(Fig.15,16).
ButamoredirectaidtotheunderstandingoftheskeletalanatomyofLeedsichthyshadalsocometolightinthe
interim.
LEEDSICHTHYS-ANEWSPECIMEN
InJuly2001,1receivedabonethroughthepost. Notanentirelyunusualeventinitself,thisbonewouldturnout
tobesomethingquitespecial. IthadbeenfoundbyaPortsmouthPalaeobiologyundergraduate(Martill,2002),
workinginoneofthemanybrickpitsaroundPeterboroughthatexcavatetheOxfordClaytomanufacturebricks
(Dawn,2004). Thestudent,MarcusWood,hadcomeacrosstheboneprotrudingfromafacethathadnotbeen
workedbytheshaleplanersincetheearlynineteeneighties. Anotherstudentonthecourse.MattRiley,looked
atthefaceindependently,andsawanumberofsmallerbonesprotrudingfromthesamebed. Fortunately,their
coursesupervisor.Dr.DavidM.Martill,wasalso,incollaborationwithDr.ColinAdamsoftheInstituteof
BiomedicalandLifeSciences,UniversityofGlasgow,co-supervisingmypostgraduateresearchonthegigantic
JurassicfishLeedsichthys,andsoknewtosendthebonetomeforidentification. Iwasablenotonlytoconfirm
hissuspicionthatitwasindeedLeedsichthys,butalsotostatethatitwaslikelytobeadorsalfinspine,ofthe
kindmistakenlyidentifiedbytheGermanpalaeontologistVonHueneasbeingatailspinebelongingtothe
stegosauriandinosaurOmosaurus(nowLexovisaurus)(Huene,1901)(seeFig.17).
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TheStarPitatWhittlesey(coincidentallyonethatAlfredLeedshadhimselfcollectedfromsome90years
before)wascomingtotheendofitsworkinglife,producingclayfortheHansonBrickCompanytoturninto
bricks. Thismeantthatifadigweretobeorganised,itcouldberunwithoutthehealthandsafetyissues
surroundingtheexcavationofmaterialinthesamepitasactiveshaleplaners,whichcouldprovepotentially
dangerous. Dr.Martillandmyselfmadeplans,andeventuallyvisitedthesiteonthe22"^October2001,together
withAlanDawnofthePeterboroughCityMuseum,toassessthesignificanceofthefindandthepotentialofthe
site. Wehadmixedresultsfromtheassessment-onthepositiveside,wecouldconfirmthat,asMattReillyhad
indicated,therewere13smallbonesprojectingfromthecliff,overan8.5metrestretchofthesamelayer(Bed
14(Hudson&Martill,1994))astheonethathadyieldedthelongerdorsalfmspine(Fig.18). Giventherange
insizesoftheprojectingbones,andthattheremainsseemedrelativelyconcentratedforafishestimatedtogrow
anywherefrom 10(Woodward, 1917)topotentially27.6metres(ashintedatinthecaseofoneexceptional
partial setofremains(Martill, 1986)),itseemedthatlittletransportationordisruptiontotheskeletonhad
occurred. Thisappearedtoindicatethatamajorfind,aslargeasanyspecimensofarrecovered,washidden
withinthecliff Onthenegativeside,anexcavationcouldnotbeconductedparticularlyfarintoabedwith20
metresofoverburdenwithverymuchsafety. Andgiventhesizeofthefish,bothDaveandIknewthatitwas
likelythatasubstantialareaofthecliffwouldhavetoberemovedtobeconfidentthatwehadachanceof
recoveringeverythingthatwebothfeltmightwellbethere. Itwasclearthatthiswouldrequireaheavypieceof
excavatingmachinery,andthiswouldnotbecheaptohire. Intheworstpossiblecasescenario,wemightendup
spendingalargeamountofmoneytoremoveacliffsome20metres(50feet)inheight,onlytofindthatthe
fragmentsthatwecouldseetheendsof,wereallthatwasleftofthefish-theresthavingbeenremovedinthe
early1980sandturnedintobricksperhapsusedforabathroomextensioninNorfolkinthenineteeneighties.
Butthisseemedtheleastlikelyresult. Whatwasvirtuallycertainwasthatwehadthemostsignificantfindof
thisfishsince(accordingtoNaturalHistoryMuseumarchives)February 1913(Leeds, 1913),andwhatwas
extremelylikelywasthatwithinthecliffwasprobablythemostcompletespecimenofthefisheverfound.
Whatmadeattemptingtoexcavatethespecimenallthemoreworthwhile,wasthatonehadneverbeenexcavated
undertherigouroffullscientificprocedures,withmappingoftheremainsbeforetheycameoutoftheground.
TheclosesttomappedindicationsofhowthebonesofLeedsichthyshadbeenfound,weresomedoodled
sketchescontainedinaletterfromthecollectorAlfredLeedstoArthurSmithWoodwardoftheBritishMuseum
(NaturalHistory)inLondon(Leeds,1898),andaroughscale-lesssitemapmadeupretrospectivelybyagroup
ofGermanteenagers (aswellasPeterborough,theremainsofthefishhavealsobeenfoundinNormandie,
northernGermany,andChile)analysingfifteenyearsworthofphotographsthattheyhadtakenduringtheirdigs
(Probst&Windolf,1993;Michelisetal,1996). Evenifwedidprovetobemisguidedinourexpectationsofthe
completenessofthisnewspecimen,thevalueofthefirstproperlymappedrecordofthebonesofLeedsichthysas
found,couldbeimmeasurable.
Therarityofsuchanopportunitywastoogreattopasson,andbyMay2002Dr.Martillhadraisedtheinitial
fundingfora2-weekdig,ledbymyself,scheduledforthefollowingmonth. Dr.Martillwouldhaveledthedig
himself,butforhisintensiveworkscheduleforthatsummer. Personally,myschedulewasalsobusy-Ihada
long-plannedtourofcollectionsinGermanybookedforJuly-butgiventhequantityofbonelikelytobe
excavated(basedonthequantityofmaterialcomprisingthemostcompletespecimencurrentlyknown,the
specimennicknamed‘BigMeg’intheUniversityofGlasgow’sHunterianMuseum),theplannedtwoweeks
wouldbeadequatefortheexcavationnecessary. Unfortunately,paperworkproblemsdelayedourstartingdate,
sothattheheavyexcavator,a21 tonneKomatsu,couldonlygetaccesstothesitestartingonthe24'*’June
(Martill&Liston,2003). Ittookfullyfivedaysfortheextremelyskilleddriver,DavePeppercorn,toremovethe
20-metreoverburdenfromaroughly25metreby9-metreareaofthebed(Fig.19). Hewasabletostriptheclay
bedsbacktoayellowshellbedlayersome8cmabovethebonelevel(Dawn,2002),shiftingsome10,000tonnes
ofmaterialintheprocess,someofwhichwenttoformaplatformandslopethatourvolunteerdiggerswould
laterusetoworkon.
TheskywasdarkeningwhentheKomatsuexcavatorfinallyleftthesiteattheendofthatfirstweek,itsjobdone
(Fig.20). Iremainedtoguardthedigovertheweekend,toensurethatnoopportunisticcollectorstriedto
scavengematerialfromanabandonedsite,whileDr.Martillwenttocollecthisundergraduatevolunteerdiggers
fromPortsmouthUniversityforthefollowingMondaymorning. Iwasable,inthefresh8amdaylightofthat
firstSaturdaymorning,togodowntothenewlyexposedbed,starttoexcavatefromtheedgeofthecliff,and
takestockofwhatweactuallyhad. Iwillneverforgetthatinitialperiodofexcavation,seeingtheenormous
densityofbone,farinexcessofwhatwehadseenprotrudingfromtheedge,andwaybeyondourexpectations.
Itwasclearthatwehadatleastoneverycompletelypreservedsectionofthisfish(Fig.22). Somefaulting
withinthecliff(resultingfromslippageofthecliffafterbeingworkedbytheshaleplanerintheearlyeighties)
meantthatthebonemightbelimitedtothatfirstarea(Fig.21),butstillthequantityofbonerecoveredhad
alreadymadetheexpenditureontheexcavatorworthwhile.
Twodaysintothefollowingweek,Iwasalreadyrunningbehindscheduleformyplanneddepartureforthe
collectionstudytrip(includingthevaluableandsuccessfulvisittoStuttgart,mentionedearlier). Despitemy
reluctancetoleavethedigatthisearlystage,itwasclearthatIhadtogo. Dr.Martillwouldtakeoverasacting
digleaderinmyabsence,anddespiteourjointexpectationthatever34;hingwouldsoonbefinished,hegaveme
anundertakingthatifsomewell-preservedandassociatedskullmaterialstartedappearing,hewouldensurethat
62
itwasleftandnotlifteduntilIhadreturnedandseenitinplace.Butwewerebothwrong. When1returnedthree
weekslater,bonewasstillbeingexposed,withlittlesignyetofanythingthatmightbeskullmaterial,oranend
tothebonematerialbeingrevealed. Theproblemwasnottheusualoneondigs,ofdifficultyinfindingbone,
butthat‘toomuch’bonewasbeingfound-oftendiggerswouldcomplainabouthowtheyyearnedforareasof
claydevoidofbone,sothattheyknewthatatleastinoneareatheyhadcometoanendofthepreservedremains.
TheproblemsofexcavatingthematerialhadgrownoverthedaysthatIhadbeenaway. Contrarytoappearances
whenthebedwasfirstcleared,thetopographyoftheclaylayerdidundulateslightly-andanincautioushand
couldaccidentallygothroughbone,especiallyassomeelongatedrod-likecomponents seemedtobe long
enoughtolieproudofthesoftclaylayerthatthebulkofthebonewasheldwithin,sothatitprojectedintothe
harderslabsoftheoverlyingbed. Thesetopographicalproblemswerecompoundedbyadegreeoffaultingcriss-
crossingthroughthebedthathadbecomeapparentwhentheshellbedhadbeenremovedduringearlyhand
excavation. Althoughthesefaultsdidnotappeartorundirectlythroughmanybones,andthethrowwasnottoo
significant(itwasnevertoofarfromthebrokenendofonepartofabonetoitsmatchingbrokensurfaceinan
opposingblock), this still added complicationswhichmightagain leadunwaryexcavatorsto accidentally
excavatethroughbone. Therewasacoreareaofbonethatraninanareaabout14metresby8,andwithinthat
thereweremanyareasthatweremulti-layered,sothatafteronelayerofbonehadbeenexposed,mappedonto
largeplasticsheetsandremoved,anotherlayercametolight. Thiswasparticularlyproblematicandtime
consuminginanareachristened‘GreenBay’(namedafterthecouplethatdedicatedlyexcavatedit,Peterand
MargaretGreen,oftheStamfordGeologicalSociety)thatwasdenselyfilledwithgillrakers,andultimatelythis
couldonlyberesolvedbyremovingroughly7cmdeepslabsofthearea,inthehopeoffullexcavationatalater
dateinlaboratoryfacilities. Alsoproblematicwastheboneitself,whichbaffledseasonedexcavatorsofOxford
Clayreptileswithovertwentyyearsexperience,whowereentirelyunpreparedforafossilanimalwithsomany
bonesthatwereoftensothinanddelicate,yetsometimesexceptionallylargeandalwaysincrediblyfragile. This
causedparticularproblemswhentrenchingaroundsomeofthelargerbonesforplasterjacketing,astherewould
oftenbedozensofsmallerboneslyingaroundtheperimeter,whichcouldunwittinglybedestroyedbythe
incautiousdigger. Theclayneededtobeparedawayfromthebonesusingdentaltools-painstakingandtime
consuming,buttheonlywaytosafelyreleasethebonesfromthismatrix. Traditionalmethodsofapplying
ParaloidB72conservationgluehadtobedistinctlyrefined-althoughonecouldgetawaywithapplyingthick
mixesofthissubstancetoreptileboneinthefield,withthisfossilfish,thegluesimplyobliteratedtheboneand
madeitextremelydifficulttoliftfromtheclay. Andyet,incontrast,ifthebonedidnotreceiveParaloidB72
verysoonafterbeingexposedtotheair,itwoulddesiccateandstarttobreakdownwithinacoupleofdays. This
wasaparticularlysignificantprobleminthefirstfewweeksofthedigwhenlargeareasofbonewerebeing
exposedfasterthantheycouldbeprotected,andtheweatherwasfluctuatingbetweenintenseheatandheavy
downpoursofrain,whichalternatelybakedandfloodedthesite(seeFigs.23-25).
Althoughallofthesefactorswerepartofanelaboratelearningcurveforallinvolved,theyalsomeantthat,in
conjunctionwiththequantityofbonebeingwayinexcessofwhatwaspredictablefromexistingmaterial,they
massivelyincreasedtheamountoftimethatthedigtook. ThenewspecimenofLeedsichthyssoonacquiredthe
nicknameof‘Ariston’,becauseitsimplywent ‘onandon’ (astheoldcommercial advertisementusedto
declare). Thisunpredictabilityintermsofquantityofmaterialmeantthatnumbersofpeopleavailabletodig
dwindledwhenthelargestamountofbonehadtobelifted-afterthe26'*’July,thecoreteamdroppedtojust
threeindividualsasdedicateddiggersonthesite. Eventually,thesitehadtobeclosedonThursday26'*’
September,notbecauseallthebonehadbeenremoved,butfortworathermorepragmaticreasons. Firstly,the
universitytermwasabouttocommence,whichmeanthatthediggers(bothstudentsandstaff)neededtoreturn
totheirvariousinstitutions. Secondly,theHansonBrickCompanyneededthePortakabinbackthattheyhad
kindlylentusoverthesummerinorderthatwecouldstorethecollectedspecimensin. Bothofthesefactors
meantthatitwastimeforthesitetobeevacuatedforthatfieldseason. Aninetonnetruckwashiredforthe
mammothjoboftransportingallofthemanyhundredsofclayandplasterblocksintomorelongtermstorage
(Fig.26).
InAugust2003,asmallgroupofdiggersreassembledattheStarPit,tocleartherestofthebonesfromthe
exposedbed,forthreereasons:firstlytoensurethattherewasnoopportunityforindividualstoplunderbones
fromthebedafterthebroadcast(plannedforamonthlater)ofatelevisionprogrammereportingtheexceptional
find(Dawn,2004);secondlytoassessthedegreetowhichboneswerecontinuingintothecliff,andwhetherit
wasthereforeworthremovingmoreofthecliffinthehopeofretrievingmoreofthesamespecimen;andthirdly
toensurethatshoulditprovenecessarytobringbackaheavydiggertotakethecliffbackfurther,thatthere
wouldbenodangerthatbonesleftinplaceontheexcavationbedwouldbedamagedbythediggerreturning.
Fortwoweeks,theseindividualslabouredtocleartheremainderofthebone,supportedbythePalaeontological
AssociationandtheNationalMuseumsofScotland,withinasmallwindowoftimeformedbytheavailabilityof
individualstoworkwithoutjeopardisingtheirownsummerprojectwork. Theworkwasmadehardbythe
impactofwinterweather,whichhadhomogenisedtheupperstrata,makingitdifficulttodistinguishandseparate
themduringexcavation-the ‘pen-knife’ excavationbelovedofthepreviousyearwasnolongerpossible.
Followingthis,theonsetofsummerhadreducedthesurfacelayerstofineflakesofshale,whichwasdifficultto
removecleanly. Bytheend,thesitehadbeenclearedtoadegreesatisfactorytothediggers,andplanswerein
placeforremovalofthecliff Itisplannedthat,dependingontheavailabilityofmyselforDr.Martill,thecliff
63
removalwillnottakeplaceuntilthestartofthenextfieldseason(2006)-partlysothatftirtherboneswillbe
securedsafefrompotentialprivatecollectorswithinthecliff,andpartlybecausetheenvironmentalprotectionof
20metresofclayontopofabedisinvaluable:afreshbedrelativelyunaffectedbyweatherwillbeconsiderably
easiertoworkthanonewhichisexposedtotherigoursoftheFenswinter.
Whathavewelearnedfromthisremarkablefish specimen(registeredwithPeterboroughCityMuseumas
PETMGFI74)-adiscoveryalreadydescribedasthemostimportantBritishvertebratefossilfindsincethe
dinosaurBaryonyxwasexcavatedin 1983? Thespecimenisexceptionalinanumberofimportantrespects,
includingquantityofmaterial(over2,300bonescollectedbytheendofthe2003fieldseason,seeFig.27),the
presenceofpairedbonesforthefirsttimeinaspecimenofLeedsichthys,andremarkableclarityofskeletal
growthstructuresonmanyofitsbones,fromgill-rakerstohyomandibulaeandfinrays. Someofthesegrowth
structuressuperficiallyresemblegrowthrings,whichholdoutsomepromiseofyieldinggrowthdataforthis
animal. Withgreatoptimism.Dr. Martillandmyselfhadhopedforsomesignofstomachcontentsasan
indicatorofdiet:thefishhaslongbeenregardedasanedentuloussuspensionfeederlikeabaleenwhaleora
baskingshark,inpartbecauseofitsunusuallylarge(over7.5cminlength)gill-rakersintheabsenceofany
teeth,butsomepreservedevidencefromitsgutwouldhelptoremoveanyambiguityoverthis. Itrapidly
becameclearthatthecomponentoftheskeletonthathadbeenpreservedwithinthecliffwouldnotcontainthis
regionofitsbody(thatappearstohaveendedupaspartoftheaforementionedhypotheticalNorfolkbathroom
extension),butsomesmallfishvertebraewerepreservedwithinthecentralmassofgillrakers,whichmight
serveasanindicatorofsomeofthepreyitemsthatLeedsichthys(perhapsinadvertently)fedupon(seeFig.28).
Inadditiontotheretrievedremainsthemselves,andofequivalentimportance,isthedocumentation-adetailed
seriesofplasticmappingsheets(roughly6x2metreseach-seeFig.29),papermaps,fieldnotesandahostof
digitalimages,allofwhichmakeitpossibletorecreatethedispositionofthebonesastheywereoriginally
found.
FundingiscurrentlybeingsoughtfortheHerculeantaskofpreparingtheboneoutoftheclayslabscollected-
anestimatedtaskofoneandahalfpersonyearsinduration,tofullycleanthemorethan2,000bonesthusfar
collected. Intheinterim,AlanDawn,theboneplastererparexcellenceofPeterboroughCityMuseumand
StamfordGeologicalSociety,hasbeenworkingatcleaningoccasionalbones,butasapart-timevolunteeritis
slowandarduouswork,atarateofapproximatelyadozeneverythreemonths-asignofboththescaleofthe
problem,andthedifficultyofthework(Fig.30). Particularlyproblematicwillbethepreparationofthemost
fragileandcomplexstructures,thepectoralfins(Fig.31),currentlyembeddedinrobustplasterjacketsandlayers
ofB72glue(Fig.32).
ItisclearthatthereismuchmoreofAriston’sbonyremainsstillintheStarPit,andhopefullyfundingcanalso
beraisedtoremovealittlemoreofthecliff(whichtheskullremainsseemtobeheadinginto)andresumethe
digarmedwithaninformedandrealisticschedule,andafullcomplementofdiggers.
CONCLUDINGREMARKS
AlfredLeedsremainsapioneeringfigurefromthenineteenthcentury‘bonerush’ofvertebratepalaeontology.
Asasinglecollector,thequalityandquantityofhisexcavatedmaterial(inMarch1894,justfouryearsafter
sellinghisentirecollectiontotheBritishMuseum(NaturalHistory),hisnewlyformedcollectionwasinsured
withtheInsuranceCompanyofNorthAmericafor£1,000),anditsworldwidedistribution,iswithoutpeer. He
personallyfoundnodifficultyinreconcilinghistheologicalbeliefswithScience. Indeed,inalecturehegaveto
localpeopleatGlintonSchoolonespring,hecriticised‘religiousinstructors’forfailingtokeepuptodate:
“Religionmustworkwith&keepupwithscience.”
Wesitatthestartofthe2D‘century,andlookbackathowmuchwehavelearnedinthelast150years. Yetwith
allourincreasesinknowledgeandunderstanding,itishumblingtorealisehowlittlewehavemovedforward:as
lowlyavertebrateasafish,whosefossilremainswerefirstdescribedwelloverahundredyearsago,islittle
better understood today than it was at the end ofthe nineteenth century; the recent rise in Christian
FundamentalismhasforcedcreationismbackintotheschoolclassroomsoftheUSAandEurope,throughthe
supernaturaldoctrineof‘intelligentdesign’(Brumfiel,2005;Gewin,2005). Ahundredyearsago,AlfredLeeds
describedthecauseoftheproblemasbeingthatthe“negligenceofchurchesinnotkeepingupwith[the]times
[isthe]causeofmuchunbelief[and]toomuchgoingbacktotheignorantbeliefs,forms,andsuperstitionsof
[the]middleages.” Althoughinmanyareas,hugelysignificantprogresshasbeenmadesincetheVictorianera,
inothers,theprogressseemsalothardertodiscern.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Manypeoplehavehelpedintheprogressofthisproject. Firstly,thoseindividualswhohavegivenaccesstokey
specimensinpubliccollections:notonlyAlisonLongbottom,PeterForeyandSandraChapmanoftheNatural
HistoryMuseum(London),butalsoRonaldBottcher(Stuttgart),BettinaReichenbacher(Miinchen),Ronald
Winkler and UlfLinnemann (Dresden), Gunther Viohl (Eichstatt), Gloria Arratia & Hans-Peter Schultze
(Humboldt Museum, Berlin), Lothar Schollmann and Christina Reimann (Munster). Secondly, those that
financedandsupportedthetourofcollectionsabroad,andthetransportationofspecimensonloan-inparticular
theBlodwenLloydBinnsBequestFundoftheGlasgowNaturalHistorySociety,JonJefferyandDonnaSaxby
aswellasAlisonBrown.
64
ThedigforAristonitselfhadsomedirectfinancialbenefactors,whohaveoftengoneunsung-palaeontological
digsrelyheavilyontheenthusiasmandeffortofvolunteers,butthisexcavationwasextremelyfortunateinbeing
financiallysupportedbyanumberofbodies,primarilythroughthegratefullyappreciatedapproachesofDave
Martin-withoutwhom,thedigsimplycouldnothavehappened. NERC'semergencyfundingroute,andthe
AggregateLevy’sSustainabilityFundareparticularcontributors,butthemajorfunder,helpingbothfieldseasons
(inparticulartocoverthecostsofhiringexcavatingmachineryfromR&RPlantHire,withthehighlyskilled
DavePeppercorn),wasthePalaeontologicalAssociation. OthercontributorswereEnglishNature,theStamford
GeologicalSociety,theEastMidlandsGeologicalSociety,andtheFriendsofPeterboroughMuseum. The
ownersoftheStarPitatWhittlesey-HansonBrick-gaveusfantastichospitalityandaccesstoessential
facilitiesaswellasthepermissiontoexcavateAriston,andAndyMortlockwasastalwartpoint-of-contact.
FurtherhelpinkindwasinparticularprovidedbytheHunterianMuseum(EfniversityofGlasgow),theNational
MuseumsofScotlandandalsobytheUniversityofPortsmouth-butthemostsignificantcontributorinthis
respectwasallthediggers,whogavetheirtimefornoremunerationwhatsoever-makingatotalofover3,000
workinghoursinthepitoverbothfieldseasons. SpecialmentionandthanksgotoTomChallandsandKay
Hawkinsinthisregard. SarahEarland,PeterandMargaretGreengaveparticularspecialistexpertisetothedig.
NickWattsandAdelineRamagetriedhardtomakethefilmingaspainlessaspossible,whichwasappreciated.
DaveMartinhaskindlyallowedthereproductionofsomeoftheimagesusedinthisarticle.
SpecialthankstoJulianandLouisLeedsforaccesstotheirfamily’sarchives,andRosieWyndham(neeLeeds)
forphotographsourcing. SusanSnell,PollyTuckerandKarenTaylor’shelpinguidingmyselfandLeslieNoe
throughtheNHM’scorrespondencearchiveisgratefullyacknowledged.
Finally,appreciationisexpressedtoJohnWagnerandCarlosEzquerraforcomingupwiththe‘BigMeg’.
INSTITUTIONALABBREVIATIONS
GLAHM=HunterianMuseum,TheUniversityofGlasgow,Scotland.
SMNST=StaatlichesMuseumfurNaturkundeinStuttgart,Germany.
BMNH=NaturalHistoryMuseum(London),England.
PETMG=PeterboroughMuseumandArtGallery,Cambridgeshire,England.
CAMSM=SedgwickMuseumofGeology,DepartmentofEarthSciences,UniversityofCambridge,England.
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PLATESANDFIGURES
PLATEL
FIGURE1. Number11,GrosvenorTerrace,inGlasgow’sWestEnd,aroundthetimewhenMary’sfamilylivedthere,atthe
endofthenineteenthcentury. ThehousewasonlyafewminuteswalkawayfromtheUniversityofGlasgow’sHunterian
Museum.PhotographusedbycourtesyoftheMitchellLibrary,Cultural&LeisureServices,GlasgowCityCouncil.
FIGURE2.AlfredNicholsonLeedsandMaryFerrierFergusson,togetherinaPeterboroughphotographicstudio,around
1875. ImagecourtesyofJulianLeeds.CopyrightresideswiththeLeedsFamily.
FIGURE3.TheLeedsfamilyhomeatEyebury. ImagecourtesyofJulianLeeds,fromtheunpublishedmanuscript‘Eyebury
andtheLeedscollection’,1938/9.
FIGURE4.Thetail(BMNHP.10,000)ofLeedsichthysproblematicus,asdisplayedin1937(NHM-ESLnegativenumber
1660). Thespanofthetailis2.74metres. ThurlowLeedsrecalledwhyittooksomeninemonthstoreassemblethe
“thousandsofpieces”ofthetailcollected:“apacketoffragmentsrepresentingalengthof3or4inches,andbelonging
possiblytotwooriginalrays,containedontheaverage(intheslendererparts)120fragments”(Leeds,1956). Bypermission
oftheTrusteesofTheNaturalHistoryMuseum(London).
FIGURE5.ProfessorJohnWalterGregory,ChairofGeology(1904-1929)intheUniversityofGlasgow,andHonorary
CuratorinGeologyfortheHunterianMuseum. Photograph©HunterianMuseum,UniversityofGlasgow.
FIGURE6.Dr.WilliamRobertSmellie,AssistantCuratorinGeology,circa1915. Heworkedextensivelyonreconstructing
themarinereptilesofAlfredLeedsboughtfortheHunterianMuseum. ReproducedwithkindpermissionofValerieBoa,
withwhomcopyrightresides.
FIGURE7.ThemountedskeletonofOphthalmosaurusicenicus(GLAHMVI070),asdisplayedintheHunterianMuseum
fromabout1916-1966. Pictureprobablytakenbetween1916and1920byS.Finland. Photograph©HunterianMuseum,
UniversityofGlasgow.
FIGURE8.Thefullextentof‘BigMeg’(specimenGLAHMV3363),laidoutinacorridoroftheHunterian’smainresearch
store.JohnFaithfull(1.8m)isincludedforscale.
sFpIeGcUimReEn9G.LTAheHMbonVe33s6k3et(c‘hBeidgbMyegA’l)f.reBdoNniechisolas7on7cLmeeldosngipnrheiospelrectltee.rtoArthurSmithWoodward. Itisacomponentof
FIGURE10.ExtractfromaFebruary1913letterfromAlfredNicholsonLeedstoArthurSmithWoodward,enquiringabouta
boneofLeedsichthysthathehadfound.(NHM-GLDF100/55/468).BypermissionoftheTrusteesofTheNaturalHistory
Museum(London).CopyrightresideswiththeLeedsFamily.
PLATE2
FFFIIIGGGUUURRREEE111123...SDSekatuualrilolsoftfroSommuMsNtheesSosTckiu5ln2lu4so7f2(,BBcMMleNNaHrHlyPPIsIh11o11w226i6)n,g(f1oi.eu3ltdlmieontferveoisfemlwaonxigis.l1la1rcym.wide).
FIGURE14.SkullofSMNST50736,clearlyshowingoutlineofdentary.
FIGURE15.Maxillaryof‘BigMeg’(GLAHMV3363).
FIGURE16.Dentaryof‘BigMeg’(GLAHMV3363).
FIGURE17.Thefirstboneof‘Ariston’(PETMGFI74)-sentforidentificationafterexcavationfromtheStarPitin2001.
BelowisapieceofLeedsichthysidentifiedbyFriedrichVonHuenein1901asastegosauriantail-spine(CAMSMJ.46873).
FIGURE18.TheLeedsichthyslocalityintheStarPit. AlanDawnandDavidMartillstandnexttothequarryface,indicating
the8.5metredistanceoverwhichbonewasfoundon22"'*October2001. DavidMartill(right)ispointingatthehorizontal
bedthatthebonewasemergingfrom. Ayellow‘X’betweenthemmarkswherethefirstbonesamplewasretrievedfromthe
bedbyMarcusWood.
FIGURE19.TheKomatsuexcavator,drivenbyDavePeppercorn,obliteratingthe20metrehighcliffsittingontopofthe
fish.©D.M.Martill.
66
PLATE 3.
FIGURE20.Theauthorviewsthenewlyexposedbed,priortomanualexcavationcommencing,on29*June2002. ©D.M.
Martin.
FIGURE21.Firstexcavatedarea,showingslippage‘fault’toleft. MargaretGreenforscale.©D.M.Martill.
FIGURE22.ReconstructionofLeedsichthysasan18metrefishbyBobNicholls(September2003),withlinetoshowthe
portion of the body (to the left) thought to be contained within the cliff © Bob Nicholls, Palaeocreations
(www.paleocreations.com).
FIGURE23-25.Thesiteregularlyflooded(23)andrequiredtobepumpedout(24)beforeexcavationcouldcontinue(25).
FIGURE26.Fish-van:theninetonnetruckfilledwithplasterjacketscontainingthebonesofthefish. Intheforegroundisa
Channel4filmcrew.
PLATE4.
FIGURE27.PeterGreen’smapofthesite:eachcrossmarksthecomerofa1metresquaregrid,designedandconstmctedby
him,thatwasutterlyinvaluableforaccuratelyrecordingthesite. Forsimplicityatthisscale,onlythelargestcomponents
havebeenincluded.©PeterGreen,2002.
FIGURE 28. SketchbyBobNicholls (August2004) to indicatethe indiscriminate ingestion ofanextremely large
suspension-feedingJurassicfish.©BobNicholls,Palaeocreations(www.paleocreations.com).
FIGURE29.Unrollingoneofthe18plasticmappingsheetscreatedtomapthefindsduringthetwofieldseasons. Peter
Green(orangehardhat)directsoperations.©D.M.Martill.
FIGURE30.Ahandfulofthemorethan2,300bonesretrievedfromtheStarPitsite. Thesehavebeenpreparedoutoftheir
claymatrixbyAlanDawn,ofthePeterboroughCityMuseum.
FIGURE31.TherightpectoralfinofAriston(PETMGF174/I0,002),pedestalledpriortobeingjacketedinplasterfor
removal.©D.M.Martill.
FIGURE32.Theleftpectoralfin(withoverlyingdermalbones,PETMGFI74/10,025)hoistedintotheaironthelastdayof
thefirstfieldseason.©D.M.Martill.
67
Liston.Plate1.
68