Rhynie Chert
Geological Conservation Review site | GCR #1581 | Palaeontology | Arthropoda
Scotland's geosites are chosen because of their local, national or international importance. Take only photos, leave only footprints: avoid causing any damage to this site. You can walk almost anywhere in Scotland without the need to ask permission or keep to paths, but you have a responsibility to care for your own safety, to respect people's privacy and peace of mind and to cause no damage.
This site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is an offence to intentionally or recklessly damage the protected natural features of a SSSI, and this includes unauthorised sample collection.
The right of access does not extend to quarries, building sites or any land where public access is prohibited, or to the collection of geological samples.
Summary
This was the first discovered, and is so far the finest Devonian microarthropod locality in the world. Thirteen species of chelicerate and one crustacean have been described from the site. Palaeocharinids and mites found here are preserved in exquisite detail, like the plants with which they occur. The arthropods found here and their association with other fossils make this one of the world's more important sites for studies of palaeobiology and evolution.
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