From dinosaur extinctions and rising seas to the emergence of mammals, more than 130 million years of the Isle of Wight’s prehistoric past will be explored by local palaeontologist and author Megan Jacobs at this year’s Isle of Wight Literary Festival.
Megan, co-founder of Wight Coast Fossils and author of A Field Guide to the Fossils and Geology of the Isle of Wight, will appear at Northwood House in Cowes on 9th October.
Known as ‘Dinosaur Island’, the Isle of Wight is renowned for its fossil-rich cliffs and beaches, which provide a window into a lost world beneath our feet.
Just last year, a new species of sail-backed dinosaur from the Isle of Wight, Istiorachis macarthurae, was identified and named.
But while dinosaurs often grab the headlines, Megan says they represent only part of a much bigger prehistoric story.
Around 130 million years of Earth’s history is preserved along the Island’s coastline, recording changing climates, vanished seas and ecosystems from the distant past. Its fossil record also includes species found nowhere else in the world.
During her Literary Festival talk, Megan will explore this history and explain why such a small island has become a leading destination for fossil discoveries.
Megan said:
“The Island has over 130 million years’ worth of geology, representing very important periods of Earth’s history.
“Major sea level rises, dinosaur extinctions and the rise of mammals are all captured in our coastlines.
“We’re very lucky that a vast majority of our rocks are very fossiliferous, giving us an excellent window to look back in time to the Island’s previous residents.”
Megan’s book provides an accessible introduction to the geology and prehistoric past of the Isle of Wight, featuring key locations, explanations and photographs of specimens from the collections of local amateur fossil hunters.
She says the book was inspired by a desire to give the thousands of people who visit the Isle of Wight in search of fossils an accessible resource to help them understand what they find.
Megan has said:
“Thousands of people visit our Island every year, hoping to stumble across a fossil – a piece of dinosaur bone or even an ammonite. However, there was no available resource for people to turn to, so I decided this needed to change!
“My biggest aim is to make the Island’s geology and palaeontology accessible to everyone. Anyone with an interest, no matter how big or small, should be able to understand the events that formed our Island, and what they see in the cliffs.
“As well as knowing where and what to look for to make their own discoveries!”
Megan’s talk will take place at Northwood House in Cowes at 14:00 on 9th October, with the event expected to appeal to residents, visitors, families and fossil enthusiasts of all ages.
Tickets are available online via TicketSource.
