The Ammonite Pavement at Lyme Regis

[@CR0SBO]

Started to look up, "Why Beef?" but all the "Origins of Beef" I could find were geological processes of how the stone layer formed rather than the origins of the term itself. Some references to it being an old local term, and one mention of quarrymen, but I stopped looking after about 6 webpages/papers because the semantic satiation set in. It appears to be called Beef, because that's what it's called!

[@pheart2381]

Apparently viewed close-up the texture resembles a beef steak seen edgeways on.

[@pattheplanter]

"From the resemblance of its small and parallel fibres to the fibres of animal muscle, this limestone is known among the workmen by the name of "Beef" "On the Geology of the Neighhourhood of Weymouth and the adjacent Parts of the Coast of Dorset. " W. Buckland & H. T. De la Beche, Transactions of the Geological Society series 2 (1835) IV(1): 11-12 Available on the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

[@artistknownaslisa2850]

Okay. So now we understand why a rock is called beef but I had to look up pasty. Never heard of that before. Ironically, also made of beef. I detect a theme here. Lol

[@NiallFleming]

Seems to be from the fibrous nature of the rock - "It is believed that the “ beef ” in the shales-with-“ beef ” resulted from the leaching of the CaCO3 of a fine porous marl by a groundwater solution, and its subsequent redeposition. The initial redeposition was about the grains of calcite along bedding planes or similar divisional openings, and, as more material was added by the solutions moving to these planes, each original grain developed into a fibre in the layer of “ beef ”. Growth was from both sides, but took place faster on the upper side because the dominant movement of the water was downward. Growth stopped due to the exhaustion of the supply of CaCO3 in the marl or CO2 in the solution. The thin paper-shales between the layers of “ beef ” may represent the concentration of the original clay of the marl. This explanation of the origin of the “ beef ” would probably apply to other fibrous deposits of calcite, also." www.cambridge.org/core/journals/geological-magazine/article/abs/origin-of-the-beef-in-the-lias-shales-of-the-dorset-coast/9FB0B8E3F3828EB3164BD1B50BFC5EDD

[@basiliskboy17]

it's called beef because I believe miners who stumbled into it thought its texture resembled that of beef. It refers specifically to the thin layer on the tops and bottoms of the really large slabs. Mr. Shrimp picks up a chunk of it at 12:49 Beef is commonly mistaken for bone or other fossils, though you can find alright quality ammonites in it.

[@devttyUSB0]

Eva had a field day on the rocky beach! 💖 And that ammonite pavement really does impress. Wow. Why so many in one place? Thanks for taking us on these trips, Mike!

[@AtomicShrimp]

The large collection of fossils in one place is sometimes called a 'death plate' - it might be that this was just a place where the already-dead shells of the organisms happened to wash together (currents etc), or there might have been some local condition that caused them to die there en masse - like a small lagoon that got cut off from the sea and dried up, or something.

[@Stormingmonkey]

"co-inside with the tide" or you could say Co-intide

[@obnabrun]

19:51 "Eva, what do you have there? Hey! Watch your teeth! EVA NOOO!!!"😂 I love her vitality and the amazing landscape!

[@izzysmum3861]

I love that the street lamps in Lyme Regis have ammonite decorations at the top

[@mollynakamori]

This truly brought me to tears. If I were able to get to the UK, it would be impossible for my old knees to manage that hike, so I deeply appreciate you taking us there for this adventure. Seeing fossils like that, abundant and so clear, would be the dream of a life time for me. You are a hero for bringing such wonders to the rest of the world in such a personal way. Thank you.

[@artistknownaslisa2850]

I woke up today with my hip completely dislocated so I also appreciate going along with AS on his fascinating journeys.

[@uraniareva]

I always appreciate seeing Eva trying to dig sand out from under a rock. I like to think she's trying to make it levitate!

[@AtomicShrimp]

I'm certain that's what she is hoping for.

[@gigi3242]

Glad you, Jenny, and Eva are all safe and sound. Thank you for sharing your adventure. Poor Eva, so many rocks!!! lol

[@President_Starscream]

Mr. Shrimp's general knowledge of many things makes videos like this not only very interesting but also very consumable.

[@sarahstrong7174]

I love looking into those those rock pools that are like a world unto themselves.

[@l.tproductions3489]

This gives me the nostalgia when i went here on holiday, thank you so much for making this video and reminding me of how amazing this beach is.

[@joebloggsvlogs1657]

The Shales-with-Beef are so named because of the impersistent calcite bands that are found within them. These bands have a cone-in-cone structure (Whitten and Brooks, 1972) that makes them resemble a beef steak therefor named ‘Beef’ by the Officers of the Geological Survey.

[@JamaisConnu]

It’s always refreshing to see places like this where it’s just that little bit harder to get to by car - creates a lovely sense of wilderness.

[@Gwandriwog]

The best explanation for the term "beef" i found in a little online search is, that the fibrous structure of the calcite resembles that of beef. Apparently it was first used by quarry workers. But as you said, there is a lot of trash to filter through with that term.

[@annieclaire2348]

Wonderful video! Thanks Mike, Jenny and Eva ❤

[@bethenecampbell6463]

Loved the shot of your dinosaur shirt you chose for fossil hunting. Very appropriate!

[@nicolakibble]

❤ Another interesting and informative video - thanks Mike. I feel a bit more knowledgeable after watching your videos 😂❤

[@cosudu3002]

I am so happy that I discovered your channel a long while ago. Every episode is so interesting and enjoyable! Michael, Jenny, and Eva: thank you!

[@argusfleibeit1165]

Thanks. I grew up with the boring, sandy beaches of New Jersey. Nothing to see like what you have.

[@bethenecampbell6463]

Your comment about how people don't damage the "pavement " because it doesn't lend itself to souvenir hunting was interesting. Since so many of us have good cameras with our phones it's easy to make our own souvenirs in places like that. Do you ever use photos you've taken to make wall art for Shrimp Cottage or custom calendars for friends and family?

[@samhenwood5746]

I love Lyme Regis but I’ve not been there since I was a teenager & thanks Atomic shrimp 🦐🤗

[@jointgib]

i had no idea there was so much left to see there, i suppose i assumed any visible fossils would have been taken

[@harmonic5107]

Eva diddling around in the background is always so cute. She's such a funnly little dog 😄

[@timbervalleyproductions]

Lyme is a lovely town, i go and stay there every autumn. Bu the way, Lymes fish bar down the back alleyway or in the beach, is probably the best fish and chips ive ever had, try it next time youre there!

[@parluron]

Really enjoyed the video! The best bit was your colourful outfit.

[@emmajdoodles2406]

Thank you for another great video. I hope you have all stayed safe in the most recent storm down south, it looked very scary.

[@andymoore7337]

Wonderful,thanks for sharing.

[@DJBoise]

Beautiful place for a walk.

[@thecatherd]

Happy weekend! Lovely to see some Lyme Regis, haven't been there in years.

[@philipmckeon8944]

That was very interesting. I didn’t really know what you were talking about most of the time but I thoroughly enjoyed the walk along the beach. Now for a beef sandwich. With brown sauce of course! 👍

[@Dan-ji4db]

Karl pilkington went camping once in lyme regis. He and a mate pitched a tent near a pile of rubbish because it meant it must be a good spot because other people had camped there. 😂

[@jensgoerke3819]

The beach looked a bit familiar and a bit of searching revealed that it featured in some episodes of Doctor Who.

[@kimvibk9242]

@7:06 - that rounded rock at the bottom looks uncannily like a skull...!

[@thecatherd]

I don't suppose that if the thick stone layers are called beef, that the thinner ones might be called pasta or bechemel. :P

[@baratono]

Mmmm, pasties! I just had one for supper tonight. Many pasty shops in the UP of Michigan.

[@basiliskboy17]

I'm going here in February. I miss it so much...

[@gunnish1337]

The first google hit on "beef rock" tells me "This rock gets it's name because it looks a little like a beef steak."

[@Luncheon23]

I love these place names, they remind me of the Thomas Hardy novels.

[@basiliskboy17]

the "geode" you pointed at appears to me like one of the gas-filled chambers of an ammonite shell, particularly the cross-section of an ammonite like Coroniceras. I have a part of that genus that would fit perfectly in that hole, just found on the other beach as for the fossil at 23:43, that's a cross-section of the keel of an ammonite. You're looking at a piece of arni bed there. Named for the arnioceras commonly found in it.

[@watjean]

I was at this beach a year go and I found a amazing object I wish I could find someone that could identify it any suggestions would be gratefully welcome

[@AtomicShrimp]

Can you describe it?

[@TheJamshaw]

Waiting for the emotional Disney film 'The Limpet That Never Came Home' 😢

[@sway_hybird4984]

Great beach i went there for a geography trip about 3 mounths ago

[@silva7493]

I had to turn on "cc" to make sure I was hearing "shales with BEEF", but the captioning said "beef", and then you said it a few more times, so I'm now certain you did call that amazing feature "shales with beef". The pavement or "beef" looks SO interesting and smooth. Since it's sandstone I don't suppose it's really very hard, but on screen it looks like it would be a hard type of rock. I don't think I would ever have imagined "ammonite pavement", and wow!! Very cool. I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm an amatuer geologist, but I love rocks and minerals. This video was a real treat. Although I want a pasty now. There's nowhere near for me to buy one in this part of California. I did buy one once in an old mining town a couple of hundred miles from here, where miners from Cornwall onced worked deep in the Sierra Nevada mountains. That's where I learned of them. Delicious!! I've made my own before, but now if I wanted to bake something I'd have to use the barbeque, because the old oven gave up the ghost. Hmm... might have to do that.😋

[@ptittannique5621]

Greetings Mr Shrimp! I'm a palaeobiologist--granted, not a geologist--and I have no idea why those strata would be referred to as "beef". True, I'm now based out of North America, but I did my BSc and MSc in Britlandia, so if you ever do find out, please let me know!

[@charlie125125uk]

Excellent video did not know that about limpets, must be time for a budget shopping video please

[@muddyboots2531]

Hello Mike, Jenny and little Eva. Another great video. Apart from the layers looking like slices of (grey) meat, I read that they are composed of fibrous material. Since beef also has fibres I wonder if this fact is part of the reason for the name.

[@pattheplanter]

You are right! "From the resemblance of its small and parallel fibres to the fibres of animal muscle, this limestone is known among the workmen by the name of "Beef" : it sometimes entirely occupies the place of the clay between the limestone beds of this formation." W. Buckland & H. T. De la Beche, Transactions of the Geological Society series 2 (1835) IV(1): 11-12

[@oliviac5476]

Great vid, thank you

[@arijitbanerjeearb]

Do we have mountains in the UK? If yes, may I request a tour, Mike? 😊

[@stryke5729]

We do but very few of them are in the south we have some In wales and an area in England called the Peak District. Obviously Scotland is a very mountainous country aswell. I have some doubts that atomic shrimp will be going to any mountains on a day trip but I would not be surprised if he showed us a holiday where he was in snowdonia in wales or the Peak District.

[@LuckyStone888]

Always. Fun video. Thanks for sharing. Honestly the best fossils I've ever found were when I was not fossil hunting. It looks like. Great spot to kayak whenever there is a calmer day

[@trwindianaoutdoors7996]

Fascinating

[@andrewcoates6641]

Looking at the smallish piece with a possible inclusion, put me in mind of some fossil sea urchins that I saw in a small collection that was on display in a small museum in Scarborough a few years ago.

[@alger8181]

Just a thought, with no research on the etymology or any thing like that. Could it be that the shale were seen as the slices of black rye bread, and in between were the thin slices of beef in a sandwich? I know it's bit of a weak analogy, but it's what my silly brain came up with.

[@ten060]

I think it's called beef because it is typically made up of vertically oriented fibrous calcite, which gives it the appearance of the muscle striation of beef. Just a guess though, cannot find anything definitive in the literature.

[@pattheplanter]

You are right! "From the resemblance of its small and parallel fibres to the fibres of animal muscle, this limestone is known among the workmen by the name of "Beef" " W. Buckland & H. T. De la Beche, Transactions of the Geological Society series 2 (1835) IV(1): 11-12 Available on the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

[@Stan-at-KangarooIslandTV]

Has Eva ever found a fossil - she does l like rocks!

[@chickaboom45]

I love Eva's photo bombs

[@lemoncrinckles]

I came here for the scambaiting, I stayed for the nature walks.

[@zero_meercat8624]

Love Lyme Regis

[@s_k.99]

Maybe the beef refers to the calcite veins in the mudstone like a steak with fat marbling?

[@Denyzyne]

Very cool video, ah why so scared, if you break a leg, remember you got two, just learn how to fall properly! it'll be okay, the rocks won't bite! ps dogey has 4 legs :)

[@dansharpe2364]

I am going to start a band called The Ammonite Pavement. Can you play bass? If not can you learn how by next Thursday?

[@msp4354]

Could the origin of 'beef' in shale and beef come from the fact that the sinew in beef is thin and lightly coloured compared to the bulk of the red meat. I can see some resemblence there...

[@somethinginnocuousindahouse]

LOVE the shirt

[@Meg-cf8xs]

I had a fossil themed birthday this year in August. We spent a long weekend in Lyme shopping and fossil hunting and as gifts I got fossils, shells, crystals and a book on lyme regis. Probably the best birthday I've ever had.

[@Meg-cf8xs]

Also if you ever come to Wales again we have in South Wales Penarth beach which is good for a little fossil hunt and limpert bay a beautiful bay obviously with plenty of limpert.

[@Brian_is_Not_Sus]

Shrimp, you sometimes mention you and Jenny have grown children. How come they are never in any of your videos? Just curious.

[@AtomicShrimp]

They're grownups with their own lives and interests of their own. When we meet up with them I generally don't want to be giving all my attention to a camera

[@deeriehs4777]

I would so love to take a walk with you and your wife and have you point out all of the fascinating things that you know.

[@nunnabeeswax2397]

One day Eva is gonna bite you square in the butt for telling her to shut up. 😂😂😂😂 Poor Eva all she wants to do is help narrate. Running commentary.😂

[@stanneveldm]

The barking of Eva is now officially the most annoying sound on KZbin ever.

[@Pooky-Cat]

Awww 🙁 Eva has a lovely bark 🙉

[@godfreypoon5148]

Eva was barking because you said there was beef, and she would like some.

[@Nossieuk]

reassessment of the age of the Earth. De la Beche (1826), using the nomenclature of William Smith’s (1815) geological map of England and Wales, described the Jurassic succession exposed in the coastal sections around Lyme Regis as Blue Lias overlain by c. 36 m of fossiliferous ‘slaty marls’ with thin beds of indurated marl, nodular concretions and selenite crystals. He subsequently (Buckland and De la Beche, 1836) referred to the thin seams of fibrous calcite that are common in the lower part of the succession as ‘beef’, a term adopted from quarrymen working the Purbeck Beds in west Dorset (Challinor, 1961).

[@Nossieuk]

you are welcome - nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/9615/1/Shales-with-Beef_2008.pdf

[@pattheplanter]

"From the resemblance of its small and parallel fibres to the fibres of animal muscle, this limestone is known among the workmen by the name of "Beef" "On the Geology of the Neighhourhood of Weymouth and the adjacent Parts of the Coast of Dorset. " W. Buckland & H. T. De la Beche, Transactions of the Geological Society series 2 (1835) IV(1): 11-12

[@questionableendeavours]

As someone who did a degree in geology 35years ago down south (been in northern Scotland for 15 years now), with a a thesis on ammonite hydro statics, it was nice to see this area again 👍

[@glasgowgallus247]

I'm from Glasgow, but lived in Cromarty on the Black Aisle for a couple of years. As you'll know, Hugh Miller's birthplace is in Cromarty, and just along the road is the famous (ish) Eathie Beach, where generations of Black Isle inhabitants have snaffled fossils to punt to the tourists.. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍😅

[@questionableendeavours]

Yeh, a friend's son is named after him from when they lived in Cromarty.

[@antz8810]

Bell end😂

[@Lisa-ih7fk]

Hey, fellow geologist here. Curious what your career looked like? I'm relatively early into mine and not sure how to continue it, it's so difficult to find work.

[@questionableendeavours]

@@Lisa-ih7fk well.... I never worked as a geologist! But worked in countryside management and outdoor access 😁

[@helenmcclure]

From Charmouth Fossil Centre Beef Rock Age: Jurassic - around 195 million years old Composition: Calcite and mud (crystal form of calcium carbonate) Origin: From the layers of mud in the cliff This rock gets it's name because it looks a little like a beef steak. Beef rock forms when calcite crystals grow like fibres usually forming flat slabs in the layers of mud. The slabs are easily broken up to pebble sizes on the beach. You can see the fibres of calcite in the edges of these flat pebbles. I have a nice ammonite in beef rock that I found at Charmouth.

[@Katimulator]

I'm taking a gap year from my geology degree and I really miss the field work, seeing sites like these motivate me to get better to go back and finish it

[@dijosto]

May you succeed

[@kathydodge8028]

Wishing you the very best!

[@Moewenfels]

As someone who NEVER lived by the sea and only spend very short amounts of time at the sea on vacations i am FASCINATED by the concept of the tide. Kinda frightening, but also super exciting because of the constantly changing landscape. I wanne spend a loooong time at the sea at some point in my life.

[@AtomicShrimp]

Yeah, the tide is a weird thing. Myself, I've lived my whole life near the coast, but for the most part, the impact of the tide was just the amount of beach that would be exposed when I visited. Having moved to Dorset, the tide has more serious implications as many more beaches are backed by sea cliffs and people can and do get cut off with nowhere left to stand.

[@deejayk5939]

Really interesting, but I know my ankles would be toast! Thanks

[@raraavis7782]

To imagine, that these enormous bodies of water are moved by the gravity of the moon, competing with the gravity of the earth...👀🫣

[@KaliTragus]

I moved to near the bay of Fundy and it's absolutely wild.

[@Sundablakr]

@@raraavis7782 If that fascinates you, here's another: there are moons in the solar system such as Io, moon of Jupiter, where the tidal bulge from gravity is so strong it creates tides not in water but in rock. On Io there are tides up to 90 meters in solid rock that move around the moon pulled by Jupiter's massive gravity.

[@stephaniknight5809]

If you could do slow tv of tide pools, that would be so awesome. I used to live near a beach in california and it had a sandy side and a stoney side. Well the stoney side was full of tide pools. I would take my son and we would learn all about the tide pools together from books i got at the library. It was so much fun

[@Totalinternalreflection]

I wish my downstairs neighbours had the same control of their yappy dog as you do of yours. "Yap yap yap" 'Shut up!' stops. Nice.

[@mgratk]

Mt favorite Atomic Shrimp beach video so far! Actually, one of my favorite videos period. Fascinating and beautiful geology. Thanks Mike and Jenny!

[@lizg5574]

Thank you Mike, Jenny and Eva. My old stomping ground for over 25 Summers. I lived and worked for a while at Rousdon, which is close to where my paternal Grandmother was born and where one of her brothers is mentioned in the Combpyne graveyard, for gallantry and bravery in the First World War, earning him a Military Medal.

[@italiana626sc]

27:29 Even the lamp posts are ammonites! Thanks for showing us this interesting and beautiful area. How long did your trek take?

[@BellaRainDrops]

Eva at 19:30 🥺 Bless her little rock loving heart lol 🤗 💖

[@obnabrun]

Eva's like "yes yes, beautiful..COME ON! THROW IT!!😆 She's adorable 😂

[@kitchenworker446]

Oh Mike! I loved that shirt...dinosaurs...very appropriate. I have found some fabulous fossils on the beach at Whitby...another good fossil beach.

[@deedeedoes818]

Would love to see your stone after it has been tumbled

[@lillydogpoo65]

I just have to say. I get the same feeling, same satisfaction I get watching your content as I get when watching PBS or listening to NPR ...this is a compliment..I love this stuff..thank you 👍

[@marijo1951]

I went to Lyme Regis on honeymoon 53 years ago. My abiding memory is that the Lifeboat was called out three times in the same night.

[@bonitagoodwin5086]

Spectacular ❤❤ Thank you for taking us along on your nature walk.

[@GolosinasArgentinas]

Nice! My grandma had a stone path in her backyard with some ammonites. I was fascinated by them as a child :-). Loved the appropriately themed shirt!

[@heikesiegl2640]

When we visited Ireland, specifically the Aran Islands, i really loved looking at those rock pools. Like little underwater landscapes :) i tried to make pictures but it didnt work at all. Most of them looked empty and far less impressive

[@BellaRainDrops]

Aww miss this place, we used to be in the Army and lived in Blandford for 8 years, it was a fabulous place to live in Dorset with the Jurassic coast to explore whenever we wanted, Thanks Mike and Jenny lovely vid x

[@jeanette590]

Thank you for making my morning working in a factory enjoyable. Nice video 🙂

[@solistheonegod]

I wonder if Eva got her love of rocks from you 😂

[@Smooshes786]

This has been very interesting to me. Thank you. As an aside, since there is no currently proven path to the Beef Rock naming- I’ve decided it was German visitors eating their Bierock sandwiches they brought along and saw the similarities. (Seems legit right?) We have a wonderful area for fossils - sadly closed for 7+ years because of humans behaving badly. Recently reopened and hopefully respected/preserved. (Insects, plants, river creatures fossil examples)

[@SkeletonSyskey]

To quote the 1980's "Where's The Beef?"

[@divaden47]

I love the way you shout "Shuddup" to Eva! Say it how it is Mr. Shrimp! Thanks for another interesting video.

[@thany3]

Just imagine what this coast must've looked like way back when amanites were alive and well. Thousands of those cool spiral critters crawling and swimming around, and realistically, probably getting eaten by some kind of angry reptile. Must've been quite a sight.

[@TekkonTech]

The term "beef" in the context of geology and specifically shale formations is not a standardized geological term, but rather an informal slang that is used by some geologists and drillers. It refers to very hard, competent layers within the shale that are more resistant to drilling than the surrounding softer shale. These layers can be challenging to drill through, thus the colloquial name - they are "tough" like beef.

[@pattheplanter]

The term is known to have been used for at least 188 years in scientific geology, that gets it some respect, surely? It is the fibrous nature that got it the name.

[@EcstasyCo]

I must say, I've been watching your videos for years now, and very rarely do I comment on anything at all. I come and go from KZbin, so I'm not one of your more consistent viewers. I first found this channel when I was trying to find ways to cheapen my food shopping trips and learned a lot from your cooking videos (I was a timid novice prior to finding this channel, but now I am inspired and excited to try, fail and succeed!). My partner and I watched a lot of those videos together when we first met 6 years ago, and we still refer to you in our daily conversations as "Shrimpy"! In the last couple of years, I have come to find your voice is perfect to listen to whilst I am carrying out mundane tasks at home. Not only that, but as someone that hasn't always been awe struck by the world around me, I find some of the things you teach in your videos - such as the section about limpets in this video - extremely fascinating and bitesize enough to retain whilst I am just listening to the audio. I haven't always had a focused and sound state of mind and have gone through many periods of depression like so many do these days. I'd like to thank you so much for your content, your wisdom, and your love for life. You have permanently changed my outlook on life for the better. I hope that you continue to post anything and everything that intrigues you as long as you continue to enjoy it. As long as you keep posting them. I will keep watching them. All the best. - E&C

[@timbervalleyproductions]

Fantastic video, just rerurned from a week here. When was this filmed?

[@Shenorai]

"Where Limpets Used to Live" sounds like a novel. Perhaps one of those tales of someone coming home after a war and trying to settle back into a civilian life after their harrowing experiences.

[@ikeaforlife]

I love Lyme Regis and Charmouth, it's where I got my rubbish cheap typewriter! I've only ever done fossil stuff at Charmouth though (if I recall correctly)

[@MamguSian]

Ugh, I remember eating limpets once. We didn't know you have to remove the teeth, never even thought they had teeth and couldn't work out what the gritty stuff was. Rubber bands is certainly a good description for the texture of the meat. I'd love to go and see that ammonite pavement one day, so it's nice to be able to see it here in the meantime.

[@AtomicShrimp]

Yeah, the radula (tongue) of the limpet is like a little mediaeval mace with teeth on it - the teeth have Mohs hardness of up to 5.5, so they're in contention with your tooth enamel

[@MamguSian]

@@AtomicShrimp Ah ha! I'll tell the dentist it's the limpets' fault.

[@Moewenfels]

26:00 how many takes did you need to get this perfect? Or was in a legit one-shot? :D

[@AtomicShrimp]

One take, but rehearsing in my head a bit beforehand

[@Moewenfels]

Well done :)@@AtomicShrimp