Life around Jurassic lakes and rivers.

Lycoptera

These freshwater fish had many small teeth and fed on plankton. The fish were covered with small oval scales and resembled the minnows of today.

The fossils are so well preserved that even small details and soft parts such as the eyes can be discerned. Fossils of several Lycoptera are often found together, indicating that they lived in schools. 

Dorygnathus banthensis

The wingspan of this Dorygnathus was about one metre, but it could grow up to 1.5 metres. Dorygnathus was a pterosaur with a long tail that lived during the Jurassic Period in what is now Europe. It had an elongated skull with large eyes and large, curved teeth for catching fish.

Dorygnathus was related to Rhamphorhynchus which you can see flying about in the exhibition.

Cymatophlebia

Cymatophlebia lived in low-lying coastal areas, probably near the fresh water of lakes and rivers in which its young lived during the nymph stage.

Cymatophlebia was among the first true dragonflies, and was one of the largest insects of its time. Like all dragonflies, it was a skilful flyer and a predator that hunted other insects.

Ginkgo cordilobata

An excellent fossil of Ginkgo cordilobata, whose leaves appear to have fallen to the ground when the tree shed its leaves in the autumn — just as its surviving relative, Ginkgo biloba, does today

Ginkgo yimaensis

This ginkgo had leaves with broad lobes and very deep notches.

Ginkgoites regnelii

This ginkgo leaf was so well preserved that it could be removed with a scalpel from the rock it rested in. It was then mounted between two glass plates so that it could be studied with a microscope.

Baiera gracilis

This ginkgo had leaves that were divided into many small segments.

Ginkgo dissecta

The small leaves of this ginkgo appear to have fallen to the ground when the tree shed its leaves in the autumn, just as its surviving relative, Ginkgo biloba, does today.