GEOLOGICAL HIGHLIGHTS - Fossil Reptile footprints

Recently these fossil reptile footprints have been found on Arran near Blackwaterfoot.

The footprints, illustrated here, are thought to have been formed by the Triassic reptile, Chirotherium.Often such tracks are labelled as 'dinosaur footprints', but scientific investigation indicates that they are more likely to be formed by a reptile - Chirotherium tracks have been found in Lower Triassic rocks in Europe and North America, but these are the first veriafiable traces to be found in Scotland.

Dr Neil Clarke of the Hunterian Museum, who supplied these photographs, is currently preparing a paper describing these footprints.

Some further information about the discovery and investigation of these footprints is available at http://van-stratum.co.uk/ougs/footprints.html