Darren Withers

@outfossiling
33 Followers
40 Following
78 Posts

Supporting amateur paleontology,member of the Peterborough Geological Palaeontological Group helping to secure local palaeontological heritage for museums all around the UK, synergistically working with palaeontologists/archeologists on excavations ( including drone photography )volunteer in the geology department at the Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery and Rutland County Museum.
https://outfossiling.com/
https://lnk.bio/outfossiling

#palaeontology #paleontology #fossils

Darren WithersSep 22
#molluscmonday 😍
Darren WithersAug 23, 2025
I introduced @MaxMiechowski to my good friend Richard Forrest. I think we can agree the resulting collaboration is beautifully portrayed below in the #YouTube video 👇 #picoftheday #serene
#fossilhunter @guardian
https://youtu.be/2p5uiHdVeJA?si=EFHh3rY3_QEMkAUA
Darren WithersJun 2, 2025
https://outfossiling.com/2025/06/02/a-short-film-about-the-rutland-sea-dragon/
A short film about the Rutland Sea Dragon

Let me share some exciting news to you all, as Dr Dean Lomax who as you know is the lead scientist for the ‘Rutland Sea Dragon’ will present a short film about this ground breaking discovery for th…

The Rutland Sea Dragon
Darren WithersMay 9, 2025
Out comes my reconstruction of a 'living' #belemnite replica to tackle a frequently asked #FossilFriday question. " What exactly are these pointy shaped fossils ". So, with my replica and a pointy shaped #fossil to hand from my collection. Reading out and rehearsing from the brilliant Discovering #Geology section of the British Geological Survey website. I open up those curious minds 😁
Show threadDarren WithersMay 3, 2025
@AdamStuartSmith it's a "TARDIS" style museum, small outside - huge inside. With an eclectic collection, local history & archaeology. The fossils are quite a few, historically important imo, on loan from the Oakham school. With some cool looking pieces on display.
Show threadDarren WithersMay 3, 2025
@AdamStuartSmith ha yes, thank you Adam, rushed the text without double checking 😕 now corrected 😁
Darren WithersMay 3, 2025
#fossilfriday bones here an #Ichthyosaur show the majority of the animals pectoral girdle.Boxed individually, with a label that read the same. "from the Oxford Clay, Peterborough, Whittlsey, Kings Dyke."going by the labels we would assume the Ichthyosaur is Ophthalmosaurus.We will probably never know if they are associated as there was no further written info with them.They match in size, preservation and fit together so could well be. They would look great displayed together that's for sure.
Darren WithersApr 21, 2025
Some ammonites (for example, this Kosmoceras jasoni) crushed shell in shale for #molluscmonday displayed sexual dimorphism, where the female (macroconch) of the species was larger than the male (microconch). It is thought that this was so the female could accommodate a brood of eggs within the shell.
#ammonite from the Callovian ( Middle Jurassic )
Show threadDarren WithersApr 18, 2025
It's a crucial part of the gill structure and plays a role in both breathing and feeding.This is from the Oxford Clay and is crescent in shape exhibiting some interesting ornamenting.The structure and form of the preopercle is evolutionary significant and can be used to differentiate between different species and groups of teleosts.Currently researching the possible fish it came from.
Note:the pic in pic is just an example of the positioning of a fish preoperculum #fossilfriday
Darren WithersApr 18, 2025
Some fossils are very difficult to collect from fissile shales. So I take my macro photography camera with me at all times, especially to capture the moment of a fresh shale split. One perfect photo opportunity was when my friend discovered this small delicate well preserved teleost fish preoperculum ( pictured ) A small, movable bone located in front of the operculum (gill cover) in fish. It's a crucial part of the gill structure and plays a role in both breathing and feeding. #FossilFriday