As discussed in the section on the palaeoenvironment, the area around Staithes was in the Jurassic times a tropical marine delta. It is logical therefore to expect that the fossil record here is made up of the sea creatures of the time. The majority of fossils found today are of the Genus Amaltheus, commonly known as Ammonites.
Artists impression of an Ammonite in life
Image by Unknown Artist
Amaltheus margaritatus
Image by Unknown Photographer
The alternating geology of mudstones, shales and sandstones tell us that the environment was not static but changed back and forth over time and one finds a number of shell beds within the rock. These are notable at the Avicula and Pecten Seams and at the boundary between the Redcar Mudstone and the Staithes Sandstone Formations.
The images below are arranged roughly in chronographic order the highest being the youngest fossils above the Main Seam and the lowest being the oldest in the Redcar Mudstone
Pleuroceras hawskerense fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Cephalopoda |
| Sub Class | Ammonides |
| Family | Pleuroceratidae |
| Genus | Pleuroceras |
| Specie | hawskerense |
Pleuroceras apyrenum fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Cephalopoda |
| Sub Class | Ammonides |
| Family | Pleuroceratidae |
| Genus | Pleuroceras |
| Specie | apyrenum |
Pleuroceras spinatum fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Cephalopoda |
| Sub Class | Ammonides |
| Family | Pleuroceratidae |
| Genus | Pleuroceras |
| Specie | spinatum |
Pseudopecten aequivalvis fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Bivalva |
| Sub Class | Pteriomorphia |
| Order | Pterioida |
| Family | Pectinidae |
| Genus | Pseudopecten |
| Specie | aequivalvis |
Note: The Pecten is characteristic of sandy areas in deep water. The abundance of this specie gives its name to the local zone.
Amaltheus gibbosuss fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Cephalopoda |
| Sub Class | Ammonides |
| Family | Amaltheidae |
| Genus | Amaltheus |
| Specie | gibbosus |
Amaltheus ferrugineum fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Cephalopoda |
| Sub Class | Ammonides |
| Family | Amaltheidae |
| Genus | Amaltheus |
| Specie | ferrugineum |
Amaltheus margaritatus fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Cephalopoda |
| Sub Class | Ammonides |
| Family | Amaltheidae |
| Genus | Amaltheus |
| Specie | margaritatus |
Oxytoma (ex Avicula) cygnipes/inaequivalvis fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Bivalva |
| Sub Class | Pteriomorphia |
| Order | Pterioida |
| Family | Oxytomidae |
| Genus | Oxytoma |
| Specie | cygnipes |
Notes: The specie name is derived from the similarity with a Swan's (Cygnus) foot. The abundance of this specie gives its name to the local zone.
Amaltheus subnodosus fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Cephalopoda |
| Sub Class | Ammonides |
| Family | Amaltheidae |
| Genus | Amaltheus |
| Specie | subnodosus |
Amaltheus stokesi fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Cephalopoda |
| Sub Class | Ammonides |
| Family | Amaltheidae |
| Genus | Amaltheus |
| Specie | stokesi |
Harpoceras elegans fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Cephalopoda |
| Sub Class | Ammonides |
| Family | Harpoceratidae |
| Genus | Harpoceras |
| Specie | elegans |
Oistoceras figulinum fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Cephalopoda |
| Sub Class | Ammonides |
| Family | Oistoceratidae |
| Genus | Oistoceras |
| Specie | figulinum |
Amaltheus hildoceras fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Cephalopoda |
| Sub Class | Ammonides |
| Family | Amaltheidae |
| Genus | Amaltheus |
| Specie | hildoceras |
Dactylioceras tenuicostatum fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Cephalopoda |
| Sub Class | Ammonides |
| Family | Dactylioceratidae |
| Genus | Dactylioceras |
| Specie | tenuicostatum |
Modiolus scalprum fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Bivalva |
| Sub Class | Pteriomorphia |
| Order | Mytiloida |
| Family | Mytilidae |
| Genus | Modiolus |
| Specie | scalprum |
Plicatula spinosa fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Bivalva |
| Sub Class | Pteriomorphia |
| Order | Pterioida |
| Family | Plicatulidae |
| Genus | Plicatula |
| Specie | spinosa |
Devil's Toenail
Gryphea gigantea fossil of a type commonly found at Staithes
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Bivalva |
| Sub Class | Pteriomorphia |
| Family | Gryphaeidae |
| Genus | Gryphea |
| Specie | gigantea |
Fossil shells are not however the only fossils found near Staithes they are the most predominant. In 1968 part of an Ichthyosaur was found but before that a number of Plesiosaur were uncovered by the Alum mining.
Plesiosaur fossil structure, parts of which have been found at Staithes
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Sauropterygia |
| Family | Plesiosauridae |
| Genus | Plesiosaurus |
For more information visit The Plesiosaur Site
Ichthyosaur fossil, parts of which have been found at Staithes
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Ichthyosauria |
| Family | Ichthyosauridae |
| Genus | Ichthyosaurus |
For more information visit The Ichthyosaur Page
Other types of fossils, known as trace fossils, notably Rhizocorallium burrows are common in the Main Seam whilst fossilised wood in the form of Lignite or Jet has been mined here for many hundred of years.
