Eli and his dad, Glenn Morris, discovered this 200-million-year-old ammonite fossil high up in a beachside cliff.
On closer inspection, it’s a large spiral, a shell.
In fact, it’s the fossil of a 200-year-old ammonite, a mollusk from the Jurassic period.
Eli and his dad, Glenn Morris, discovered this 200-million-year-old ammonite fossil high up in a beachside cliff. (Photo: Glenn Morris)
The Welsh boy’s find is rare in that area and exciting for researchers.
Eli lives with his family in Birchgrove, Swansea, in Wales.
He is not new to fossil hunting, even at such a young age.
Eli proudly showing a fossil in his collection. (Photo: Glenn Morris)
He usually goes fossil hunting with his dad.
Eli has gathered some fossil samples for his own collection through these expeditions.
He told the BBC, They’re just interesting and I like their shape and the texture.
The ammonite fossil, a large specimen. (Photo: Glenn Morris)
It’s just cool.
This day, the family had traveled slightly further afield to the charming rocky, cliffside beach.
He had spotted a spiral-shaped shell peaking from the cliff, ablue lias formation.
A closer view of the ancient ammonite. (Photo: Glenn Morris)
The fossil is an impressive 200 million years old, and is contemporaneous with the dinosaurs.
If he keeps searching the beaches, however, he may find even more fossils.
Average folks in the UK have been known to stumble across important fossils onbeachesanddairy farms.
Llantwit Major beach where the pair found the fossil. (Photo:Wikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 3.0)
Americans can find them too, with enough luck.
These young scientists continue to discover pieces of Earth’s history.
Eli proudly showing a fossil in his collection.
(Photo: Glenn Morris)
The ammonite fossil, a large specimen.
A closer view of the ancient ammonite.
Llantwit Major beach where the pair found the fossil.
