Category: fossil looting

Here's a surprise and a warning that fully merits press attention - even though one wishes this story had gone through rewrite once more and lingered longer at the art director's desk. It's fascinating but blends in so many ways that geologically prominent or scenic places on Scotland landscape are being looted or defaced that the central and surprising theme - sloppy geological sampling - gets blurred.

• BBC - Steven McKenzie: Rock drilling 'threatens' Scotland's geology ;

The piece would be better were readers to be able to see an example of what sources tell McKenzie about damage to scenery by the occasional thoughtless geologist out for a core sample. The photo you see here is not from the Beeb, but from a report at an organization, Scottish Natural Heritage, that prompted the news story. The...