A BRIEF HISTORY OF MARK

Mark has been interested in fossils for as long as he can remember. He started collecting fossils in the chalk near his home in Cambridge at the ripe old age of ten but only started getting really into them in recent years (the last twenty or so). Mark studied Physics at University and joined the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm shortly after completing his degree. He often took aircraft off their set course to check out the odd quarry or coastal section - the land slips at Lyme Regis were a favourite! After his service career he returned to academia, completing an MSc and DPhil in astronomy. (He also likes stars, but digging for fossils keeps his feet on the ground). Mark's astronomical interests are cool stars, especially ones that whizz round in a few hours. Back to fossils - Mark has collected extensively around the country and has contributed many specimens to museums including the four metre Ichthyosaurus that went to Bristol Museum. One of his best finds is the tooth of a British sabre tooth cat, he has also found mammoth, dinosaur and marine reptile remains. His main interest is ammonites and has contributed recently to a book on the 'Fossils of the Gault Clay' which will hopefully soon be published. Mark has been interviewed on radio programmes about his fossils and has appeared on TV in a number of programmes and news items.

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Mark and friend