Fossil African 'T-Rex' Tooth

A cut and polished section of fossilised tree. 1.26 kg, 11.5 cm

Fine condition.

From the Isle of Portland, Dorset, UK. Acquired 1950s-1960s. From an old Bristol paleontological collection.

At the base of the Purbeck Formation in Dorset is a layer of rock containing fossil trees that have now been silicified. The trees grew around a saline lagoon that occupied this area towards the end of the Jurassic period. The dominant tree was a large conifer that was adapted to living in what was then a climate of hot, arid summers and warm, wet winters. The growth rings in the wood indicate that a highly seasonal environment prevailed in Southern England during the late Jurassic period. The trees were drowned by the rising waters of the lagoon and many have been preserved in their original positions of growth. At this time Dorset was situated at the same latitude as present-day Malta.

A very large Entada gigas or sea bean pod, containing nine separate sea bean segments; rare. 419 grams, 79 cm

Fine condition. Rare.

From Madagascar. Ex private Shropshire, UK collection.

Entada gigas, the ‘sea bean’ or ‘monkey ladder vine’ is a flowering liana in the Fabaceae pea family. The plant has the longest seed pods in the family, as well as the largest seeds, which can float for miles along sea currents, being washed up on beaches around the world. The seed pod segments snap off, dropping into the river below. The pod segment will quickly rot, revealing the seed or ‘sea bean’ inside. The seed contains a sealed pocket of air, which enables it to float. It can survive for up to two years at sea, and actually requires prolonged exposure to water in order to germinate. Some of these seeds will find their way into the major sea currents, such as the Gulf Stream, and end up washed up on coasts around the world.

A trio of unopened rounded geodes. 320 grams total, 45-66 mm



From Brazil. Ex Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's), Harwich, UK.