Description
Genuine Pliocene Mammal Bone Fossil from the Red Crag of Suffolk
This authentic mammal bone fossil originates from the Red Crag Formation at Bawdsey in Suffolk, England, one of Britain’s most famous Pliocene fossil localities. The Red Crag deposits of East Anglia are internationally recognised for their rich fossil assemblages that provide valuable insight into marine and terrestrial ecosystems during the Pliocene Epoch, approximately 3.6 to 2.6 million years ago.
Fossils from the Red Crag frequently include remains of marine organisms alongside bones and teeth from land mammals that lived in the surrounding landscapes. This specimen represents a fossilised fragment of bone belonging to a prehistoric mammal that lived in the region during the late Neogene period.
The fossil has been carefully selected for preservation and display quality, making it an excellent addition to fossil collections, geological displays, or educational collections focused on Britain’s prehistoric wildlife.
The photographs in the listing show the exact fossil specimen you will receive, and full sizing can be viewed in the listing images.
This fossil is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, confirming its authenticity and geological provenance.
Geological Formation and Age
This specimen comes from the Red Crag Formation, a distinctive fossil-bearing marine sediment found along the Suffolk and Essex coasts of eastern England.
Key geological details include:
- Formation: Red Crag Formation
- Geological Period: Neogene
- Epoch: Pliocene
- Approximate Age: 3.6–2.6 million years
The Red Crag Formation consists primarily of:
- Iron-rich marine sand
- Shelly gravel deposits
- Cross-bedded sediment layers
- Fossil-rich marine sediments
The characteristic reddish colour of the formation is produced by iron oxide staining within the sediment.
These deposits formed in shallow marine environments along the margins of the North Sea Basin during the late Pliocene.
Depositional Environment of the Red Crag
During the Pliocene Epoch, eastern England was influenced by a dynamic coastal environment consisting of shallow seas, estuaries, and sandy shorelines. Sediments accumulated in these environments as marine currents transported shells, bones, and other remains across the seabed.
The Red Crag sediments represent a nearshore marine environment where tidal currents concentrated fossil material into shell-rich deposits.
The fossil assemblage found within the Red Crag includes:
- Marine molluscs such as bivalves and gastropods
- Shark teeth and fish remains
- Marine mammal bones
- Terrestrial mammal fossils transported from nearby land areas
These mixed fossil assemblages provide valuable evidence of both marine life and the terrestrial ecosystems that existed nearby.
Mammals of the British Pliocene
The Pliocene was a period of significant climatic and ecological change that preceded the Ice Ages of the Pleistocene. During this time, Britain supported a diverse range of mammals inhabiting woodland, grassland, and coastal environments.
Mammals known from British Pliocene deposits include:
- Early deer species
- Primitive horses
- Mastodons and early elephants
- Rhinoceroses
- Carnivorous mammals including large predators
Bones from these animals occasionally became incorporated into marine sediments when rivers transported carcasses or skeletal remains into coastal waters.
Fossilisation and Preservation
When mammal bones entered the marine environment, they could become buried within sand and shell deposits. Over time, mineral-rich groundwater replaced the organic material within the bone, transforming it into fossilised material preserved within the sediment.
The Red Crag Formation is particularly known for producing rolled and mineralised bone fragments, as the energetic coastal environment sometimes transported fossils before burial.
Despite this movement, the internal structure of bone often remains visible, preserving evidence of the original anatomy.
Fossil Collecting at Bawdsey
Bawdsey and nearby coastal exposures are among the most important Red Crag fossil sites in Britain. Erosion along the Suffolk coastline continually reveals fossil-bearing layers, allowing collectors and researchers to recover specimens from these deposits.
The Red Crag has long attracted fossil collectors because of its diversity of fossils and its importance in understanding late Neogene environments in Britain.
Fossils from this formation provide valuable information about the transition between the warmer climates of the Pliocene and the colder Ice Age conditions that followed.
Authentic Fossil Specimen
This specimen represents a genuine prehistoric mammal bone fossil from the Red Crag Formation at Bawdsey, Suffolk, United Kingdom.
Key details include:
- Authentic mammal bone fossil
- Geological Formation: Red Crag
- Geological Epoch: Pliocene
- Approximate Age: 3.6–2.6 million years
- Locality: Bawdsey, Suffolk, England
- Fossil from classic East Anglian Red Crag deposits
- Exact specimen shown in listing photographs
- Full sizing visible in listing images
- Includes Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card
This fossil bone represents the preserved remains of a prehistoric mammal that lived in the landscapes surrounding the ancient Pliocene North Sea coastline, making it a fascinating addition to fossil collections, natural history displays, and geological study collections.
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