Former mountaineer uncovers Wales' first Jurassic sea-dragon fossil
After surviving a near-fatal avalanche, Matthew Myerscough turned to beach fossil hunting and identified a 200-million-year-old rhomaleosaurus jaw at Lavernock Point, the first of its kind found in Wales.
Matthew Myerscough survived a 2014 avalanche on Snowdon that left him with post-traumatic stress disorder, prompting a move from mountaineering to fossil hunting on the beaches of Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan. In 2024, while scouting the limestone shoreline with two other enthusiasts, he uncovered a sizable bone that experts later identified as the lower jaw of a rhomaleosaurus, a carnivorous marine reptile from the early Jurassic, marking Wales' first record of the species.
The 200-million-year-old specimen is currently under study by National Museum Cardiff, with hopes of publishing a scientific paper. Myerscough describes the painstaking search for fossils—using a hammer, hand lens, and keen observation—as a way to quiet his anxieties, likening it to the concentration found in yoga or sport. He has also authored a book, "In Search of Sea Dragons: A Fossil Hunter's Odyssey," to share the experience and demystify the often secretive world of amateur paleontology. The find adds a notable chapter to Wales' paleontological record and underscores the therapeutic potential of hands-on scientific pursuits.
Why it matters
The find expands Wales' fossil record and shows how personal healing can intersect with scientific discovery.
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