East Kirkton Quarry

Geology Location

The East Kirkton Limestone in the upper part of How to get there the West Lothian Oil Shale formation is a thinly Travel west along the A89 towards the centre of bedded freshwater limestone. It lies within a Bathgate, turn right after Bathgate Academy into thick succession of lavas and volcanic ash. Black Kirkton Avenue. Turn right into Puir Wifes Brae, mudstones lying above the limestone were continue up the hill until reaching a playground also found to contain fish remains. The rocks, on the left - the quarry is opposite. Alternatively, originally laid down horizontally, are now tilted travel east out of Bathgate along the Drumcross at 20 to 40 degrees to the west-south-west. They Road - turn right after Petershill Wildlife Reserve. are between 9 m and 19 m thick. Go past Limefield Farm - the quarry is on the left.

East Kirkton is a scheduled Site of Special Grid Ref of East Kirkton NS990 689 Scientific Interest (SSSI). It has also been designated a Local Geodiversity Site (LGS). Collecting is not allowed without the permission SSSI of Scottish Natural Heritage or West Lothian boundary Council. What are the planning implications? There are statutory restrictions on the site, when planning proposals are considered the council will be aware of the value of the SSSI. We need volunteers to promote and carry on our work. What is a LGS? East Kirkton A LGS is a Local Geodiversity Site. It is a landscape, landform or rock feature identified by the local N Bathgate geoconservation group as having particular value for: education and tourism; academic research; the Lothian and Borders GeoConservation A committee of the Edinburgh Geological Society, a charity registered in Scotland No SC008011. history of science; or its aesthetic appearance. With It is a member of the Scottish Geodiversity Forum and GeoConservation UK. Geology and wildlife the permission of the landowner, LGS are identified to the local council.

Contact: www.edinburghgeolsoc.org email: [email protected] Winter 2013 westlothian.gov.uk Geology and wildlife Acknowledgements to Dr Roberta Paton and the Geology Department of the National Museum of Scotland for their kind permission to reproduce photographs and drawings.

East Kirkton is a small, disused lime quarry tucked Flattened skull East Kirkton has This means that researchers have to reason away under trees on the outskirts of Bathgate. It been the scene of indirectly by comparing Westlothiana with was worked in the early part of the 19th century some of the most reptiles and amphibians. This has led to and some fossils were found then. It closed in exciting discoveries international scientific debate - some think Lizzie 1884 and had been neglected by fossil hunters in Scottish is indeed the oldest reptile whilst others think until the late Stan Wood, a professional collector, paleontology. The that it is an amphibian. Whatever the truth of the found fossils in a nearby field wall in 1984 and “star” is Westlothiana, matter, Lizzie is vital traced the rock to East Kirkton. previously thought to understanding Backbone with to be the earliest how reptiles East Kirkton is an unusual deposit because ribs attached known reptile, but evolved from it favours the fossilization of land animals now considered amphibians. rather than those that lived in water. Volcanic Figure a to be close to the hot springs rich in dissolved chemicals fed a An equally important Fossil of Lizzie 20cm (8”) long ancestry of that small lake, formed 338 million years ago. These find from East group. Four-legged, Scale bar: chemicals were deposited as layers of sediment Kirkton is shown 10mm as well as legless, snake-like amphibian skeletons on the bottom of the lake, later changing to rock, in figures a-c. Balanerpeton were also found along with spiders, scorpions Figure b preserving fossil animals and plants. woodi is an amphibian that belongs and millipedes. Tree sized seed ferns grew nearby. to the group which eventually evolved into At East Kirkton, fossils of water-living The fossil named Westlothiana became famous as today’s frogs, toads and newts. Figure a shows a animals are rare, probably Lizzie the lizard. It was originally thought possible reconstruction of the skeleton. Figure b is based because the lake was Artist it was the ancestor of all other reptiles, birds and on a “fleshing” usually scalding hot or impression of Lizzie mammals (including humans). However, Lizzie out of the poisonous. However, the is not really a lizard and it is difficult to tell if it skeleton. Figure rock contains many 30cm (1ft) is a reptile. Reptiles lay shelled eggs on land. c shows the fossils of land living Amphibians such as newts lay eggs in water. It fossil in black animals and plants is impossible to tell just by looking at the fossil mudstone. that ended up in skeleton whether Lizzie laid shelled eggs. It is the lake, or water-living animals which were at the even impossible to tell if Lizzie was a “she”! very least amphibious, living on the land as well Figure c as in the water.