Longest graptolite
- Who
- Robert F Loveridge, David Loydell
- Where
- United Kingdom (Clarach,Aberystwyth Grits Formation,)
- When
- 27 November 1999
The longest graptolite in the world measures 1.45 m (4.75 ft)in length and was discovered in the Aberystwyth Grits Formation, Clarach, Ceredigion, Wales, UK by David Loydell and Robert Loveridge in mid 2000.
Their research paper was accepted for publication by the Geological Journal on 27 November 2000. Graptolites are the fossil remains of small creatures that lived in the sea between 500-400 million years ago. They lived in colonies and had skeletons made from collagen. It is only the imprints of the skeletons that survive today. The specimen found in Wales is actually incomplete so there is every possibility that a larger one will be discovered in the near future.