On Friday I gave you this mystery object:

and after a long bout of Q&A Fia managed to get the correct answer – it is indeed a lobster (or at least a fossilised lobster claw). The actual specimen is Hoploparia gammaroides M’Coy, 1849 and it is from Sheppey which has London Clay deposits from the Lower Eocene (about 50 million years old).

There are some spectacular fossils from the London Clay, including some incredible bird material, much of which was described by the late Cyril Walker, who was honoured with a special symposium at this year’s SVP meeting. Cyril was a legend.