For teenage fossil hunter Pauline Hoggard, it was truly the find of a lifetime.
One summer day in 1949, the eagle-eyed 16-year-old spotted the spectacular remains of a fearsome marine reptile, preserved millions of years ago in what would become a Yorkshire Cliff.
Now 88, Pauline relives that unforgettable moment as she helps Leeds experts piece together the history of one of the city’s most impressive prehistoric specimens.
Pauline had just left school and by August 1949 had spent a week in Whitby with her parents and eight-year-old brother.
Staying at a local guesthouse, they befriended other vacationers of the Nicholls family and decided to go fossil hunting together near the nearby cliffs.
On their way to a narrow section of the beach, they found little other than a few banal fossils and most of the people moved away, deciding to try their luck elsewhere.
But decided not to leave empty-handed, the young Pauline stayed behind to scour the rock face a little more.
Describing the remarkable moment she stumbled upon her amazing discovery, she said: “I walked up to the cliffs to see if there was anything of interest there. What did I spot but what looked like part of a skeleton still embedded in stone.
“The bones appeared under the cliff in a straight line about four feet and were perpendicular to the gray cliff. It was clearly the backbone / tail of a prehistoric creature, the rest of which was trapped at the bottom and below the cliff.
“It seemed to me that the tide had recently discovered this fascinating skeleton. I then ran like the wind to share the news with our little party. And they were all too happy to come back to the site to see what I had found.
Mr Nicholls alerted the University of Leeds to the discovery of Pauline, who organized a dig which determined that Pauline had found the fossilized remains of an ichthyosaur, an extinct species of fish-like reptile that appeared for the first time about 250 million years ago.
The impressive remains were passed on to Leeds museums and galleries where they have been part of the collection ever since.
Pauline went on to write a number of short stories, taught creative writing, and published her first novel. But she said: “I have never forgotten my exciting first step in life – the wonderful fossil find in Whitby.”
After hearing her story for the first time recently, members of Pauline’s family reached out to the Leeds team who were incredibly successful in locating her among the extensive collection at Leeds Discovery Center and invited the family to Leeds to view it. in person.
Pauline, who lives in Leicester, was unable to make the trip herself but her niece Lesley, her husband Robert and their children Ruth and their grandson Al came to see her and take pictures.
Clare Brown, Curator of Natural Sciences at Leeds Museums and Galleries, said: “It was an absolute pleasure for all of us to hear Pauline’s story and breathe new life into an extraordinary specimen that is part of our collection. for decades.
“Fossils are always fascinating because they capture a moment in time so spectacularly distant from our own and give us tangible evidence of what life was like on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago.
“But hearing the story of our fossil discovery makes them all the more exciting and gives us the chance to feel some of the joy and excitement that Pauline must have felt all those years ago. to thank Pauline and her family for sharing such a precious memory with us.
Pauline’s story will now be part of the fossil record and will be attached to it to inform future experts and curators of its origin.
Councilor Jonathan Pryor, Deputy Head of Leeds City Council and Executive Member for Economy, Culture and Education, said: “This is a heartwarming and wonderful story that encapsulates both the power of history and the important role museums play in bringing it to life.
“I want to thank Pauline’s family for sharing this with us and also congratulate our museum team for their efforts to bring this story to light.â€
ENDS
