GUIDEBOOK TO FOSSIL GROVE AND THE BEARSDEN SHARK IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

Geological guidebooks for fossil sites in Glasgow, Scotland are uncommon and those that are available are not targeted for the general public. Following her spring 2019 semester abroad in Glasgow, Marks created a guidebook that does not require a detailed background knowledge of geology or paleontology to be used thereby allowing all visitors the opportunity to learn more about the fossil sites. The guidebook highlights two spectacular fossils: Lepidodendron and Akmonistion, a plant and shark fossil, respectively. The Lepidodendron fossil trees are located at Fossil Grove in Glasgow, while the Akmonistion, commonly referred to as the “Bearsden Shark”, is on display at the Hunterian Museum on the University of Glasgow campus. Both fossils are 330 million years old and from the Carboniferous Period, a time when Scotland had a drastically different climate than it does today. The specimens are incredibly well preserved, especially for their age. Marks examined both fossils while in Glasgow and was able to obtain photographs along with background information for the guidebook.The guidebook will serve as an educational resource for visitors to Glasgow by providing information on these magnificent, but often overlooked, natural history specimens.

Key words: Paleontology, Guidebook, Glasgow, Scotland, Geologic Education, Fossil Grove, Bearsden Shark