The Jurassic Williamsonia plant from Yorkshire as described and illustrated by Young & Bird in 1822
The earliest account of Yorkshire geology was provided by George Young and John Bird (the illustrator) in a large format 1822 book titled ' A Geological Survey of the Yorkshire Coast' . Their Plates II and III provide images of fossil plants, with Plate II (see below) illustrating Middle Jurassic fern-like and cycad-like fossils, five of them from the 'Saltwick ironstone' near Whitby, and two from the 'coal shale' at Fryop (today Fryup on the North York Moors). At first glance, the larger specimen (2) resembles the foliage of a modern cycad. Several others resemble the foliage of modern ferns and one strange fossil (6) superficially resembles a flower. The authors commented that this structure was ' apparently the head of the plant No. 2 ', a view that is still supported today. In the section on 'VEGETABLE REMAINS' on page 183 of the book, the following account is given: " Figures 2 and 6 of Plate II appear to belong to one plant ; the fo...