Shark fin spine (OUMNH PAL-J.003318)3D Model
Lyme Regis, Dorset, England. Lower Jurassic (~200 million years old).
This beautifully preserved fin spine belonged to the extinct shark Hybodus reticulatus and supported one of the dorsal fins as the animal moved through the ocean.
Whilst the collector of this particular specimen is unknown, ardent fossil collector Elizabeth Philpot held numerous Hybodus fossils within her collection, including teeth, cartilage and dorsal fin spines. Elizabeth, along with her sisters Mary and Margaret, moved from London to Lyme Regis in 1805 and became well known for their extensive fossil collection and meticulous cataloguing. Elizabeth frequently corresponded with leading geologists of the time, including Swiss palaeontologist Louis Agassiz, who named Hybodus reticulatus.
Specimen: OUMNH PAL-J.003318 Collections Online: https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/oum-catalogue-781503
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