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There has been life in Britain for more than a billion years, and when dinosaurs roamed our land and strange sea monsters swam in our seas, they left fascinating clues behind. Fossils hold the key to discovering the mysteries of ancient life, and provide a tantalizing glimpse of worlds long gone. The Fossil Detectives are on a journey throughout the British Isles, piecing together the clues that unlock the secrets of Britain’s extraordinary past. Fossil Detectives is a brand new eight part series showcasing Britain’s amazing wealth of fossil remains. Produced by the prestigious BBC Natural History Unit, the series is fronted by Coast presenter Hermione Cockburn, an Open University specialist with a life long interest in fossils. Hermione is joined by a team of regular Fossil Detectives – world renowned scientist and Britain’s number one dinosaur expert Dr Phil Manning; James Wong, a botanist from Kew Gardens, and an expert on the evolution of plants; and Dr Anjana Khatwa, a glacial geologist and the education co-ordinator of Britain’s Jurassic Coast. Throughout the series they’ll be joined by some famous fossil fans: Alex James, bassist of Britpop legends Blur; songwriter and campaigner Billy Bragg; and they have two interviews with the world’s most famous naturalist - Sir David Attenborough. Each packed episode is based in a different region of Britain, breathing life into the country’s most spectacular fossil finds, and discovering how fossils are at the cutting edge of scientific research. Fossils touch our lives in subtle and intriguing ways; Fossil Detectives explores the sometimes philosophical and emotional connection we have with fossils, how they impact on our everyday lives, and even what fossils can reveal about our future. Fossil Detectives also explores the best places in the country for you to search out and find your own fossils - a rough guide to the best and safest ways to make your own amazing discoveries. Fossils are the tangible remains of once living and breathing animals and plants; they link us to past distant worlds, worlds which can actually reveal so much about the present, and the way we live our lives today. Fossils are the ghosts of our planet’s incredible history, transporting us back through time, and inspiring the explorer in all of us. So get ready for some time travel with the Fossil Detectives.

Episode 1 - Central England: The Fossil Detectives’ adventure starts in the heart of England, a region surprisingly rich in significant fossil discoveries and cutting edge science. At a secret location, in the countryside, the Fossil Detectives have joined a special mission to track down a site of extraordinary fossil preservation, lost to science for a hundred years. Once back in the lab, the team from the British Geological Survey are using scanning electron microscopes to reveal incredibly fine details of these fragile fossils. The first ever dinosaur in the world to be identified and described was found in Central England just outside Oxford. Hermione’s come to the Oxford University Museum on the trail of the appropriately named killer dinosaur: Megalosaurus. Regular Fossil Detective and dinosaur expert Phil Manning explains the importance of the discovery of Megalosaurus and what links it to the mighty T-rex. In the rolling hills of Central England lies the beautiful and tranquil Charnwood Forest. Amongst the atmospheric woods are outcrops of the most ancient rocks in England, a staggering 500 million years old. On some of these outcrops are faint, ghostly impressions, now known to be the oldest multi-cellular fossils in Britain: weird plant like animals; experiments in life. But what were these strange creatures and how did they live so long ago? We also meet the research team who rate grabbing the headlines in The Sun as one of their proudest moments; discover a world famous fossil reserve in the depths of Birmingham’s urban sprawl, and enjoy an exclusive interview at home with Sir David Attenborough about his childhood spent exploring the countryside of Leicestershire on the trail of fossils.

Episode 2 - London: London might be the last place you would think of looking for fossils but signs of lost worlds and prehistoric lives are all around us – even in the city. In glamorous Old Bond Street, Hermione is on the look out for fossils in the stone of the buildings themselves - with surprising results. London was once home to animals we now think of being exotic and dangerous. Lions, hyenas and seven ton hippos once roamed the land where now there are black cabs and double-deckers. When the foundations of Trafalgar Square were being built, strange fossils of prehistoric beasts were discovered. From the vantage point of the BT Tower, Hermione tells the tale of one of the fossils found there - a massive tusk of a long dead hippopotamus. Fossils are key to understanding the processes of evolution. In the Evolution House at London’s famous Kew Gardens, Hermione explores the phenomenon of living fossils – plant species from prehistoric times that are still alive today. Botanist James Wong reveals what plant fossils can tell us about past worlds, and what they can say about the future, too. As a child, Sir David Attenborough was obsessed by fossils, developing an interest in them long before he discovered his lifelong passion for wildlife. Now decades later, Fossil Detectives are privileged to be invited on a personal, guided tour of Sir David’s private fossil collection. Meeting the great naturalist at his London home, Hermione learns about the fossils he’s collected over years of travelling: a dinosaur backbone from the Sahara, an ancient armoured fish from the Australian outback and one or two mystery fossils for Hermione to guess. In a very rare interview about his passion for fossils, Sir David recalls his fossil hunting days and reveals why they continue to intrigue and delight him.

Episode 3 - West and Wales: Fossils can tell us a lot about ourselves, not just our physical past, but also how we relate to fossils, ancient creatures and lost worlds. On the Northwest Coast at Formby, Hermione has come to see some beautiful footprints preserved in the sticky sand. But these aren’t the tracks of some mysterious beast; they are clearly the tracks of modern humans. Dating up to 5000 years ago, these footprints give a tantalising glimpse of the behaviour of our direct ancestors. Another fossil found in the West has provided a different insight into our prehistoric lives. The Red Lady of Paviland is part of a human skeleton found in caves on the South Coast of Wales. Now recognised to be the evidence of the earliest formal burial in Western Europe, scientists have been able to discern a great deal from these scant remains, including a terrible mistake made when first naming the find. On the coast, just near Cardiff, you can find the oldest preserved dinosaur footprints anywhere in the country. Dinosaur expert, and regular Fossil Detective, Phil Manning is here to explain what extraordinary insights such footprints can provide about the lives of dinosaurs. Combining intricate details of dinosaur footprints, with characteristics of their fossilised bones, Phil and his team are able to use powerful computer programmes to breath life into these ancient creatures, creating running, jumping and hunting dinosaurs. Phil demonstrates the technique with the most iconic of all dinosaurs Tyrannosaurus rex. Fossil Detectives also reveals what a massive industrial engine factory has to do with some incredibly delicate fossils; discovers how Shropshire was once covered with the first ever tropical reefs, 400 million years ago; and explores the ancient folklore of fossils; revealing which fossil was once thought to be food for the dead.

Episode 4 - North of England: The rugged beauty of Northern England conceals hidden riches of fossil remains. The Fossil Detectives’ mission in the North starts with Hermione perched precariously on a cliff. She’s searching for signs of dinosaurs and finds the tracks of giant Sauropod dinosaurs literally hanging out of the cliffs. The largest animals ever to walk the planet, it’s incredible to think that they once strode majestically over what is now North Yorkshire. In a desperate race against an incoming tide Hermione catches a glimpse of a prehistoric sea monster. This recently discovered Ichthyosaur is still imbedded in the rock only accessible at low tide. The spine is clearly evident but sadly the skull of the fossil has been stolen, ripped from the rocks. Regular Fossil Detective Phil Manning reveals the importance of the find and explains what vital clues are missing along with the most precious part of the fossil. Jet was made popular as a semi-precious stone by Queen Victoria. Amazingly this hard black stone is actually a fossil, remnants of vast forests of monkey puzzle trees. Botanist James Wong explains. The North of England is world famous for its once rich deposits of coal. On a trip down a disused mine, Hermione explains that coal is another fossil, compressed plant matter - traces of vast and magnificent forests. Fossil fuels like coal are just one of the many ways that fossils touch our everyday lives. You can also see fossils in the most surprising places. An airport isn’t the first place you would think of looking for fossils but at Liverpool John Lennon Airport; that is just what you can find. The stone quarried for the flooring and the walls throughout the airport is jam packed with beautiful fossils. It’s a great reminder that you are never far away from signs of ancient life.

Episode 5 - South West England: Britain’s Jurassic Coast, stretching for 155 kilometres along England’s South Coast, is one of the most important geological sites in the world. The coastline covers an incredible span of earth’s history, from 65 million year old rocks in the east you travel back through 185 million years of history. Along the Jurassic Coast are some of the best places in the country to search for fossils. One discovery made here is now recognised to be the best preserved dinosaur fossil ever uncovered in Britain; with 90% of the bones still intact and found in the exact position as it died. Tim Ewin from Bristol City Museum, where the dinosaur is being prepared, explains to Hermione what makes this discovery so exceptional. Tim explains how the dinosaur died, revealing that it vomited moments before death - the fossilised remains of its final meal forever preserved in the animal’s throat. For many people who live and grow up on the coast, fossils invariably become an important part of their lives. Alex James, legendary bassist from Britpop heroes Blur, grew up a stone’s throw from the Jurassic Coast, and spent hours as a child fossil hunting with his friends. Despite his rock ‘n’ roll reputation, he’s never lost that emotional connection to fossils. According to regular Fossil Detective Phil Manning, dinosaurs didn’t completely die out after all, their relatives are alive and living amongst us today. And he’s more than happy to prove it, with the help of Sasha an African Tawny Eagle. Fossil Detectives also take a boat trip along the Jurassic Coast to find out just what makes these rocks so globally important; reveal what connects us to fossils on a daily basis; and discover more about a famous fossil collector who became know as the princess of palaeontology.

Episode 6 - East of England: The East of England is a land of fossil superlatives. The Fossil Detectives’ journey through the East starts with one of the most important recent British fossil discoveries, made in an unlikely looking brick quarry just outside Peterborough. Here over two thousand fragments of bone have been found; all from just one creature. The remains are the most complete specimen ever found of Leedsichthys, the largest fish ever to have lived. Dig leader Jeff Liston now has the monumental task of reassembling this monster from the deep. Fossils are all around us - to find them you just need to know where to look; they can even be literally on your doorstep. Gravel drives are a familiar feature of any town or village, and are a surprisingly good place to find fossils. Open University fossil expert Peter Sheldon has met up with Hermione and some local children to go fossil hunting on just such a gravel drive. In a very short amount of time they’ve collected a huge pile of sponges; a sort of extinct oyster known as devil’s toenails; and belemnites. In Norfolk, Hermione gets the chance to see the world’s most complete and largest elephant skeleton ever found. When alive, the West Runton Elephant, named after the dig location, would have been twice the weight of the biggest African Elephant and over four metres tall. And intriguingly, close examination of the bones provide tantalising glimpses of how the animal lived its life, and how and why it eventually died. The Fossil Detectives also reveal the mesmerising beauty and mystery of nature’s time-capsule Amber; have a fossil collecting challenge at Britain’s most unusual cliffs; and on the way find out which fossil links Alfred Lord Tennyson to a Pope.

Episode 7 - Soctland: No area of comparative size in the world has more varied geology than Scotland. Hermione’s Scottish adventure starts in her home town, Edinburgh. It was here, in the 18th century, that James Hutton first developed his theories on the age of the earth. From rock formations in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park, he deduced the earth was far older then anyone had previously imagined. Nigel Trewin, of Aberdeen University, is a very keen fly fisherman and his favourite spot is the wind swept and isolated Achanarras Quarry. But it’s not just the trout that have been drawing Nigel to this quarry for 30 years. Achanarras boasts the best preserved fossil fish, for their age, found anywhere in the world. But before Hermione can start looking for fossils, Nigel insists on a fishing lesson. All becomes clear when they hook their first trout. On the Scottish East Coast, near the town of Elgin, Hermione finds herself in another quarry, this time on the trail of strange mammal like reptiles. At Clashach Quarry you can see hundreds of detailed trackways left in the parched desert sands of 250 million years ago. But no one could have ever predicted the other incredible discovery made here. An unassuming block of stone from Clashach was sent to Neil Clark at the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow. Neil’s team hit on the idea of using modern medical scanning techniques to look deep into the rock. To the team’s amazement, it reveals the perfect skull of a mysterious creature that pre-dated the dinosaurs - a Dicynodont. As part of her Scottish adventure, Hermione also learns what links fossils and golf on the historic Old Course at St Andrews; reveals the truth about the secrets lurking in the depths of Loch Ness; and finds out how huge oil companies rely on tiny microscopic fossils to search for precious new reserves.

Episode 8 - South England: The Fossil Detectives’ South Coast adventure starts with a personal quest for Hermione. Hermione grew up in the sleepy Sussex village of Cuckfield. Growing up, she was used to the idea that dinosaurs had once roamed the land there. It was years later that she discovered the scientific and historic importance of a dinosaur bone found on the edge of her village – and in this programme will find out more about the extraordinary dinosaur called iguanodon. The Isle of Wight is often referred to as Dinosaur Island and for very good reason. More dinosaurs have been found on the Island than anywhere else in Britain – and it’s considered to be one of the best places in the world to go dinosaur hunting. Fossil Detectives have gained exclusive access to a dinosaur excavation taking place left now. But it’s not for the faint hearted, situated halfway down an imposing cliff - Hermione will have to abseil down to the site. But it’s a once in a life time opportunity to excavate her very own dinosaur bones straight from the cliff. From the Isle of Wight, Hermione travels west to meet up with song writing icon and campaigner Billy Bragg and his son Jack. Their home overlooks the fossil rich beaches of Britain’s Jurassic Coast, so it’s no wonder that since moving to the seaside, Billy and Jack have become fascinated with fossils. Hermione joins them on the beach to gain a little local knowledge. Along the South Coast we’ll also learn what geo-thrillology is; go for a walk through time and stumble across some boulder sized dinosaur footprints.

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