A Review of Deposits Magazine (Spring 2013)

Deposit magazine (33rd edition) revised

The spring issue of the magazine for geologists, mineralists and fossil buffs has duly arrived and this UK-produced magazine certainly packs a punch with issue 33. The cover features an artist’s interpretation of the Russian paleoenvironment. during the late Permian. This is an example of Lyme Regis illustrator Richard Bizley’s artwork and inside is a very informative article on Richard’s work recreating prehistoric and alien landscapes. Richard likes to focus on some of the unsung heroes of the fossil record. Its landscapes feature a wide range of prehistoric animals and plants, the fauna and flora represented, all painstakingly researched to ensure accuracy. The artwork is truly impressive and the details simply exquisite.

Looking for ice age mammoth fossils in the Netherlands

Visitors to Holland might be inspired by an article on Ice Age fossil hunting on the Dutch beach at Hoek van Holland. It appears that the land reclamation and construction work to prepare the marine defenses is leading to a large quantity of material being extracted from the bottom of the North Sea; Among the sand there are many fossils of prehistoric mammals that are deposited on the beaches of this low zone. country famous for its tulips, clogs and marine defenses such as dikes. Fossil hunters can find woolly mammoth teeth, woolly rhino (Coelodonta) bones, and even Mesolithic spearheads and fishing harpoons. Further afield, there are very well illustrated articles on Mesozoic fossil hunting, including beautiful Ginkgo fossils from southern Sweden and a fascinating article on fossil crabs from Jamaica. Decapod crustaceans (crabs) have their own army of dedicated fossil collectors who specialize in collecting specimens of these arthropods. The article describes the types of fossil crabs that can be found on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. The handy glossary of terms at the end of the article helps the uninitiated to get an idea of ​​how fascinating collecting crab fossils can be.

The history of spiders, mites and scorpions in the fossil record

Arachnids, such as spiders, mites, scorpions, and their close relatives have a great article dedicated exclusively to them in this issue of Deposits magazine. This article co-authored by Dr David Penney (University of Manchester) and Dr Jason Dunlop, Curator of Myriapods and Arachnids at the Natural History Museum in Berlin, is extremely comprehensive and packed with beautiful photographs and computer-enhanced images . Since artist Richard Bizley loves to incorporate arachnids into his artwork, it makes perfect sense to include a detailed review of the arachnid fossil record in the same issue as an article on the artistic reconstruction of paleoenvironments, a unique fusion of science and art. A great way to understand all about the fossilized “creepy critters”, as these invertebrates are sometimes called.

Book reviews, news stories, news updates

The magazine offers book reviews, including a couple of volumes published to help walkers explore the Jurassic coast of southern England, lots of news, and there’s even an article on fossil amber found in Scotland. For those ready to get out and about this spring, there are articles on the Middle Eocene sea urchin hunt and a detailed review of the fossils to be found on a visit to Herne Bay in Kent.

Rare gastropod (freshwater snail) fossil discovered in the United States

For readers living in Colorado, United States of America, there is an update on some of the rare and recent fossil discoveries from the famous Morrison Formation of western North America. A rare fossil of a gastropod (snail) has been discovered, which has been turned into agate over millions of years (shell replaced by the mineral agate). Dinosaur fossils may make headlines, but this snail fossil provides scientists with valuable evidence to help reconstruct life in freshwater habitats during the late Jurassic.

A highly recommended magazine

All in all, this is an excellent magazine covering a wide range of subject areas of interest to paleontologists, geologists, mineralists, and fossil fans. The articles are written in a way that allows the layman to follow what is said in scientific terms kept to a minimum. Deposits Magazine Issue 33 is worth reading as it is packed with interesting articles and well-researched articles with loads of photos and illustrations.