Time x Square

Time’s running out in December’s square month hosted by the lovely Becky. The photos don’t necessarily have to be of a timepiece, but are open to interpretation to reflect time in some way, or sayings such as ‘the passing of time’, ‘a stitch in time’, or ‘time running away from you’.

Day 26: A Prehistoric Time

There is evidence of ancient life in the rocks beneath Whitcliffe Common, Ludlow, preserved as fossils. Indeed, some are scientifically very important, but most are tiny shells, difficult to see, and not obviously very special. Such remains reflect the nature of life some 420 million years ago, a period known as the Silurian. In order to raise awareness and give an idea of what the more spectacular creatures looked like when they were alive at the time the Whitcliffe rocks were formed, a series of six fossil casts have been made of Silurian animals, placed at intervals along the Bread Walk.

Orthoceras, a cephalopod with similarities to the modern squid and cuttlefish. These creatures liked coral reefs and so are hardly ever found in the muddy shallow waters around Ludlow. Only the hard cone is preserved, never the soft head and tentacles, so this is an artist’s reconstruction!  The real fossils are from 5 to 15 cm long.

Source: Friends of Whitcliffe Common

To join in with the Squares challenge please visit Becky for instructions. Remember the only proper rule is that the photo must be SQUARE.

December Squares | Day Twenty-six

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Heyjude

I have lived in the UK for most of my life, but when young I definitely had wanderlust and even ended up living in South Africa for several years which was a wonderful experience. I now look forward to a long and leisurely retirement doing what I like most - gardening, photography, walking and travelling.

11 thoughts on “Time x Square”

  1. A very convincing reconstruction, Jude. I like to see fossils, but have only ever spotted some around various beaches in Dorset. I was much younger, and didn’t have a camera. 🙂
    Best wishes, Pete.

    1. Fossils are fascinating. I have one partial ammonite found off the coast at Whitby. A lot of people go fossil hunting on the Jurassic coast but I can’t say I have ever seen any there!

  2. How amazing! Your picture made me imagine an alien craft landing containing creatures like these – plunging into the ocean – and negotiating a peace treaty with octopuses.

  3. Love the idea of creating casts so that visitors can see what life forms existed and were fossilised. Wonder what will be left of us that far into the future? 😀

      1. Human history (certainly pre-history) is told through our rubbish. I was imagining non-human scholars trying to make sense of us. Highly evolved cockroaches perhaps?

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