Large Eocene Lobster Fossil

Description: The Eocene London Clay deposits of the Isle of Sheppey in Kent UK and the surrounding region including the Thames estuary is well-known for 3-D preservation of fish and crustaceans which have a stark contrast between the light color of the matrix and the preserved fossil elements. Seen here is an example of the lobster Hoploparia. The genus was quite long-lived, with the first examples found in the Lower Cretaceous and extending into the Miocene, It was also quite cosmopolitan in distribution, with examples ranging from Greenland and Canada in the north all the way south to the Antarctic coast. Examples of any specimens from the Sheppey locality are highly prized by collectors. This one was found near the Coast Guard Lookout on the island, and was marked as such by the collector/preparator. Sheppy holds particular significance to me as I spent many weeks there at Abbott’s Queenborough Plant over the last two decades.