This week we have something rather special for you all. As far as we know is the only film of it's kind. A start to finish time-lapse of the preparation of an Ichthyosaur.
#ichthyosaurs
#ichthyosaur
#fossilpreparation
Today it is
#WomenInScienceDay
and we celebrate the legend that is
#MaryAnning
, a pioneer in the realms of Palaeontology and an inspiration to us all!
Following
@BBCNews
announcing the discovery of a sea dragon dinosaur dolphin and a kind suggestion from
@theAliceRoberts
we have also adopted what we can only assume to be the now colloquial term for ichthyosaurs!
Amazed with the latest giant Ichthyosaur discovery? Visit us at the museum to see our slightly smaller but very similar specimen we affectionately call Britney. Like the Rutland Ichthyosaur, ours also fell to the sea bed onto its back, now beautifully prepped & on display…
Did someone say meme? No? I could have sworn at least one of you asked for one! Anyway that's what we have got for you and I am sure we aren't the only ones who have experienced this. 🤣
🎈So today is an extraordinary day for us here at the museum as it is this very special man's birthday. So we would like to wish him a happy 74th Birthday and celebrate all he has achieved and with each year he continues to achieve. So Happy Birthday Steve!!🎉
We are proud to announce The Etches Collection has officially been awarded Designated Status by Arts Council England.
Designation is mark of distinction that celebrates nationally and internationally significant collections.
Steve Etches discusses below
NEWSFLASH!!!! We are extremely pleased and excited to announce that The Etches Collection is now an official Accredited Museum by the Arts Council England!!!
@ace_national
Product of the Week - Ancient Sea Reptiles Book
Today’s product of the week is Ancient Sea Reptiles by Darren Naish; we highly recommend this book because it is dedicated to many of the ancient sea reptiles from the Jurassic Sea.
🎈So today is a very special day for us here at the museum as it this very special mans birthday. So we would like to wish him a happy 72nd Birthday and in doing so celebrate all he has achieved and with each year all he continues to achieve. So Happy Birthday Steve!!🎉
DR Steve Etches MBE has just been presented with the Lieutenant Colonel Coke medal from The Geological Society. The medal is awarded to geoscientists for their contributions to science, recognising the recipient’s role in benefits to the wider community.
We are so pleased with all of the visitors coming to see our amazing new exhibit, our stunning Pliosaur skull! This really is a lifeline for us - as a small, independent museum its been a tough time since covid and especially with the recent economic downturn - so THANK YOU!
The Etches Collection at Kimmeridge has seen a record number of visitors.
It's after the story of the discovery of the skull of a 150 million year old sea monster was featured in a David Attenborough documentary. Read more here 👇
SO EXCITED to finally have our hands on the field guide Steve Etches co-edited ‘Fossils of the Kimmeridge Clay Formation’ - stay tuned - book launch coming next week!!!
@ThePalAss
Guess the fossil!
This week, we are giving you this specimen. Let us know what creature you think it is from and any facts you may know about it.
*All specimens photographed for this series are on display in our museum.
#fossils
#museum
#guessthefossil
🪨 | If you know... you KNOW! Thank you
@SeaMonsters2013
for this excellent piece of advice on this subject for
#MaryAnningMonth
! May the fossil hunting odds ever been in your favour 👌
We always like to show the 'before & after' of when Steve discovers a fossil and after he has fully prepped, cleaned and conserved the find. Here is a beautiful little dentary of a fish, species unknown 🐟🐟🐟
Rescue the SeaRex
The Etches Collection is planning the next part of the amazing excavation that brought about the acclaimed documentary. We are pleased to announce that you can now support this amazing endeavour by donating here:
#searex
#pliosaur
ETCHES | MUSEUM NEWS
New collections on display, including:
🦖A new species of plesiosaur - Kimmerosaurus;
🦖Pelvis of a giant Pliosaur whose bones indicate a giant predator over 10m in length!;
🦖A Plesiosaur Colymbosaurus -the first specimen found with the jaws and teeth.
Guess the fossil !
This week we are giving you this singular bone. Let us know what creature you think it is from and any facts you may know about it.
*all specimens photographed for this series are on display in our museum.
#fossils
#museum
#guessthefossil
Goliath was built from the scale of the jaw found by Steve. It's great to be able to give a visual idea on how big these marine creatures really were!
#TuesdayThoughts
Chris's AMAZING find - fossils really are beautiful, they are not just story telling ancient remains from millions of years ago but are stunning works of art from Mother Nature....
Our Amazing Sea Rex exhibition is now open to the public. Why not come down and check it out? If you want to learn more about our skull, check out this video with Steve and Nigel Larkin
#searex
#jurassicseamonster
Check out the awesome moment Steve and Paul first react to seeing the snout of our giant pliosaur! This is the day Steve, Philip, Carol and Ash went to collect the snout after Philip notified Steve of its location.
Tickets for our latest lecture are now available! This month it's...
The Rise and Reign of the Mammals - Presented by Professer Steve Brusatte
#paleo
#lecture
#fossils
Guess the fossil!
This week, we are giving you this specimen. Let us know what creature you think it is from and any facts you may know about it.
*All specimens photographed for this series are on display in our museum.
#fossils
#museum
#guessthefossil
Today in celebration of our 5th birthday on the 16th of October we are sharing this retro image of our lower Pliosaur jaw before it got it's very own cabinet here!
#birthday
#museum
#pliosaur
Looking for some fun content for your kids whilst they are schooling from home??!! ASK THE EXPERT! Send us your questions for Dr Steve Etches and the museum team and we will video our answers for you and share on our social media channels! TELL US WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE! 🦖🦕
😀WE WILL BE OPEN AGAIN ON THURSDAY 16TH JULY😀
Open every day from 10am to 5pm
No booking required.
We have the "Good to Go" kitemark. Measures are in place across the museum, designed to keep our visitors, staff and volunteers safe.
NEW FOSSILS ON DISPLAY!
#FossilFishWeek
Day 3 - this fish we call ‘Grumpy Fish’, the flank and tail of a Caturid. Why so grumpy?? Well for this specimen, it’s skull was crushed and distorted during the fossilisation process hence the appearance of an angry face🤣😡 🐟🐠
1) It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce that as per government guidelines we will be closing the museum from Thursday 5th November through until Wednesday 2nd December. Please support us & come and visit us before then if you can!
What a windy weekend! 💨💨 As much as storms can be an inconvenience, they bring Steve a lot of joy! You would be extremely surprised at what Steve can find on the beach after a storm! 😃 🌊
Guess the fossil!
This week, we are giving you this specimen. Let us know what creature you think it is from and any facts you may know about it.
*All specimens photographed for this series are on display in our museum.
#fossils
#museum
#guessthefossil
A lovely piece on our White Stone Band Ichthyosaur ‘Thalasodraco etchesi’ in today’s The Times. Why not pop down and visit our amazing ‘Sea Dragon’.......it takes pride of place in our ‘Adapt and Evolve’ case in the gallery ☺️☺️
TODAYS ACTIVITY.....Its time to dig out your Dino toys!! The sun is shining, grab some paper and position your prehistoric creatures so that you can draw them! Adults - you can join in the fun too!!! Tag us in your pics!
We are busy labelling some fabulous Ammonites to go out into our shop - all lower to middle Jurassic and from various localities in the UK, all donated to us from the Adrian Brokenshire collection
Guess the fossil!
This week, we are giving you this specimen. Let us know what creature you think it is from and any facts you may know about it.
*All specimens photographed for this series are on display in our museum.
#fossils
#museum
#guessthefossil
⭐ | A fantastic interview with Steve Etches in today's Sunday Times (News Review) section. It is a wonderful testament to Steve's role as a collector and palaeontologist.
🦖| Meet the newest member of our team. This is Alan, the Allosaurus. He joined us a few weeks ago and is settling in well. He resides in our discovery room. So if you coming down this way why don't you come and introduce yourself. 😂
Today is
#Askacurator
Day!! Have any questions on our amazing museum and our fabulous fossils? Send them over and Dr Steve Etches MBE will answer them!
Today’s product of the week is this Madagascan Ammonite. This beautiful specimen really is one of my favourites in our shop due to its striking natural colours and visible sutures that have been enhanced with a shiny polished finish.
#ammonite
#fossils
#ThursdayThoughts
- Have you ever wondered how Steve's story began? This autobiography, Life in Jurassic Seas, is aimed at a wide readership from professional palaeontologists, through amateur fossil collectors to curious beachcombers. 🌊🐚
It's
#FossilFriday
! Here is a throwback of Steve 😱 his fossil collecting began at the age of 5 with a flint fossil sea urchin which he found in his back garden! Completely self taught, a hobby has resulted in collecting over 2,400 fossils!
🐕✉️ Its that time of year when the Museum doubles up as a Polling Station for the village and here's our first visitors for the day ready to cast their vote!!
#dogsatpollingstations
Today is
@WomenScienceDay
and we always like to take this opportunity to celebrate the pioneer that is Mary Anning - long may she continue to inspire the future generations of women forging careers in the world of science.....
#WomenInScience
#FossilFishWeek
- Day 2! This is Aspidorhynchus, a slender, fast-swimming fish, the upper jaw was longer than the lower jaw, ending in a toothless spike. Similar to the present day garfish, its closest living relative is actually the bowfin 🐟🐠
#FossilFishWeek
Day 4 - two examples of our beautiful Thrissops specimens - a fast, predatory fish, you can still see the colouration of their scales!! 🐠🐟
'Battered by the Bay'!!! 😂💦🌊💨 This was last Sunday morning during hurricane force winds. Steve says he was blown into the sea twice and was most annoyed that his wellies filled up with water...Bruce thought this was highly amusing!
#dontbelikethesetwoidiots
!
Today is
#WorldEnvironmentDay
As an ecobuilt museum, we are taking 3 steps to becoming more ecoconcious
#OnePlasticFreeDay
1 - Recyclable coffee cups & lids
2 - Plastic free lucky dip
3 - All drinks sold in shop are glass/cans
What are you doing to become more eco friendly? 🌍🥰
Well done to our visitor Rosie who had 2 AMAZING
#fossil
discoveries down at
#Kimmeridge
Bay, an Ichthyosaur AND a Plesiosaur vertebra! Just goes to show you never know what you may find!
Guess the fossil!
This week, we are giving you this specimen. Let us know what creature you think it is from and any facts you may know about it.
*All specimens photographed for this series are on display in our museum.
#fossils
#museum
#guessthefossil
ANNOUNCEMENT - We are expecting to receive higher visitor numbers than normal from Jan 2nd due to our new exhibit going on display. Although we have a free car park for visitors, spaces are limited, so we advise that you plan your visit & car share where possible. Thank you!!
Have you seen our Ichthyosaur located on the landing of The Etches Collection?
It's incredible to think this creature was swimming in our seas 150 million years ago!
#ThursdayThoughts
Guess the fossil !
This week we are giving you this collection of bones. Let us know what creature you think it is from and any facts you may know about it.
*all specimens photographed for this series are on display in our museum.
#fossils
#museum
#guessthefossil
The staff, volunteers and board of trustees are working hard to keep this scientifically- and educationally-important Collection open for future generations. Any help you can provide to join us in this quest would be gratefully received.
Guess the fossil!
This week, we are giving you this specimen. Let us know what creature you think it is from and any facts you may know about it.
*All specimens photographed for this series are on display in our museum.
#fossils
#museum
#guessthefossil
#MondayMotivation
- Here is a throwback picture of Steve! Completely self taught, what began as a hobby has now resulted in a collection of over 2400 fossils (and increasing as Steve is still collecting now!) 😃🐚🌊
ETCHES | MUSEUM NEWS
Great news - we have been awarded our "Good To Go" kitemark. This means that we can safely open the museum for visitors once more. More information will be released here in the coming days for an aspired mid-July opening.