Fossilympics20 Medal Table & Results
Held from Saturday August 1st to Friday August 14th 2020, Fossilympics20 was run by Liam Herringshaw on Twitter under the auspices of the Yorkshire Fossil Festival. Here are the final results and medal table.
Fossilympics20 Final Medal Table
| Entity | Gold | Silver | Bronze | TOTAL |
| Canada | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mollusca | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| Great Britain | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Ichnotaxa | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Brachiopoda | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Echinodermata | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Problematica | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Australia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Avalonia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Reptilia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| France | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Chalcogens | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Scotland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Yorkshire | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ginkgophyta | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Egypt | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bacteria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alveolata | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| China | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Greenland | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Argentina | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| USA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Hemichordata | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Plantae | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Baltica | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Serbia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cycadophyta | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Carbon Group | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Indonesia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Porifera | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Pakistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Latvia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Belgium | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Pinophyta | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Pnictogens | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mongolia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Denmark | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cnidaria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Bilateria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Rhodophyta | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Amphibia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Aves | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Laurentia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Results
1. Acritarchery (Sunday August 2nd) – Gold: Tasmanites (Australia) – 10 votes, Silver: Leiosphaeridia (Baltica) – 8 votes (with 2690 Google Scholar hits on countback); Bronze: Actinotodissus (Belgium) – 8 votes (with 98 Google Scholar hits on countback); 4th place: Shuiyousphaeridium (China) – 4 votes.
Please stand for the national anthem of Tasmanites acritarchery:
2. Javelingula (Sunday August 2nd) – Gold: Linguliforms (Brachiopoda) – 6 votes; Silver: Terebratulids (Brachiopoda) – 5 votes; Bronze: Rhynchonelliforms (Brachiopoda) – 4 votes. 4th place: Craniiforms (Brachiopoda) – 2 votes.
Please stand for the notional anthem of linguliform brachiopods:
3. Cycling: Road Race (Monday August 3rd) – Gold: Wensley Dale (YOR) – 12 votes; Silver: Milutin Milankovic (SER) – 10 votes; Bronze: James Croll (SCO) – 4 votes; 4th place: Joseph Aldhemar (FRA) – 2 votes.
Please stand for the national anthem of Wensleydale:
4. Swimming: 200 Ma (Monday August 3rd) – Gold: Ichthyosaurus anningae (GBR) – 21 votes; Silver: Gryphaea arcuata (FRA) – 9 votes (with 953 Google Scholar hits on countback); Bronze: Psiloceras planorbis (GBR) – 9 votes (with 765 Google Scholar hits on countback); 4th place – Sphenosuchus acutus (RSA) – 2 votes.
Please stand for the fossil anthem of Mary Anning’s ichthyosaur:
5. Gymnostics (Tuesday August 4th) – Gold: Ginkgo (GKG) – 9 votes; Silver: Cycas (CYC) – 3 votes (with 21400 Google Scholar hits on countback); Bronze: Wollemia (PIN) – 3 votes (with 1820 Google Scholar hits on countback); 4th place: Araucaria (PIN) – 2 votes.
Please stand for the maiden-hair raising anthem of the clade Ginkgophyta:
6. Charniodiscus (Tuesday August 4th) – Gold: Mistaken Point (CAN) – 34 votes; Silver: Ediacara Hills (AUS) – 22 votes; Bronze: Charnwood (GBR) – 21 votes; 4th place: White Sea (RUS) – 5 votes.
Please stand for the anthem of Mistaken Point:
7. Stable Tennis (Wed August 5th) – Gold: Oxygen-18 (CHL) – 11 votes; Silver: Carbon-13 (CRB) – 5 votes; Bronze: Nitrogen-15 (PNI) and Sulfur-34 (CHL) – 2 votes each.
Please stand for the periodic anthem of oxygen:
8. Rowing: Single Skulls (Wed August 5th) – Gold: Elginia mirabilis (SCO) – 14 votes; Silver: Homo floresiensis (INA) – 7 votes; Bronze: Nedoceratops hatcheri (USA) and Nemegtosaurus mongoliensis (MON) – 2 votes each.
Please stand for the rocking anthem of a man from Elgin who wanted to be an archaeologist:
9. Noderm Pentathlon (Thu August 6th) – Gold: Edriasteroids (ECH) – 14 votes; Silver: Ctenocystoids (ECH) – 10 votes; Bronze: Stylophorans (ECH) – 9 votes; 4th place: Diploporitans (ECH) – 4 votes.
Please stand for the star-stuck anthem of edrioasteroids:
10. Wavelifting (Thus August 6th) – Gold: Rudist bivalves (MOL) – 14 votes; Silver: Archaeocyathids (PRF) – 11 votes; Bronze: Tabulate corals (CNI) – 7 votes; 4th place: Stromatoporoids (PRF) – 1 vote.
Please stand for the reefal anthem of the rudists:
11. Cycling (Track) (Fri August 7th) – Gold: Cruziana (ICH) – 13 votes; Silver: Psammichnites (ICH) – 3 votes; Bronze: Climactichnites (ICH) – 2 votes; 4th place: Plagiogmus (ICH) – 1 vote.
Please stand for the ichnological anthem of Cruziana:
12. Decapodathlon (Fri August 7th) – Gold: Thalassinoides (ICH) – 9 votes; Silver: Rhizocorallium (ICH) – 4 votes (with 3240 Google Scholar hits on countback); Bronze: Gyrolithes (ICH) – 4 votes (with 1210 Google Scholar hits on countback); 4th place: Ophiomorpha (ICH) – 1 vote.
Please stand for the ichnological anthem of Thalassinoides:
13. Taxonomic Wastebasketball (Sat August 8th) – Gold: Acritarcha (PRB) – 5 votes; Silver: Thecodontia (REP) – 4 votes; Bronze: Tullimonstrum (BIL) – 3 votes. Did not finish: Gluteus minimus (PRB) – 0 votes.
Please stand for the anthem of unknown origin:
14. 444 Ma Hurdles (Sat August 8th) – Gold: Hirnantia (BRC) – 5 votes (with 1280 Google Scholar hits on countback); Silver: Normalograptus (HEM) – 5 votes (with 806 Google Scholar hits on countback). No bronze medal awarded as neither Spinachitina nor Natiscotecella received any votes.
Please stand for the dancing anthem of some kinkish brachiopods from a cwm:
15. Swimming – 100 Ma Freestyle (Sun August 9th) – Gold: Plesiopleurodon (REP) – 10 votes; Silver: Hibolites (MOL) – 6 votes; Bronze: Mantelliceras (MOL) – 5 votes; 4th place: Elosuchus (REP) – 4 votes.
Please stand for the anthem of pleasing discoveries made by Carpenters:
16. 100 Ma (Sun August 9th) – Gold: Spinosaurus (EGY) – 6 votes; Silver: Argentinosaurus (ARG) – 5 votes; Bronze: Giganotosaurus (ARG) and Muttaburrasaurus (AUS) – 2 votes each.
Please stand for the semi-aquatic anthem of Egypt:
17. Swimming – 375 Ma Front Crawl (Mon August 10th) – Gold: Tiktaalik (CAN) – 12 votes; Silver: Acanthostega (GRN) – 10 votes; Bronze: Ichthyostega (GRN) and Panderichthys (LAT) – 5 votes each.
Please stand (if you can) for the anthem of Tiktaalik:
18. 1500 Ma (Mon August 10th) – Gold: Calcified cyanobacteria (BAC) – 7 votes; Silver: Sphaeromorph acritarchs (PRB) – 4 votes; Bronze: Bangiaceans (RHO) and Horodyskia (PRB) – 2 votes each.
Please stand for the calcified anthem of some-are-in-cyan-obacteria:
19. Beach molleyball (Tues August 11th) – Gold: Cephalopoda (MOL) – 9 votes; Silver: Bivalvia (MOL) – 5 votes; Bronze: Gastropoda (MOL) – 4 votes; 4th place: Polyplacophora (MOL) – 2 votes.
Please stand for the submarine anthem of cephalopods:
20. Polar Vault (Tues August 11th) – Gold: Diplomoceras maximum (MOL) – 17 votes; Silver: Singhisporites hystrix (PLA) – 3 votes; Bronze: Calyptocephalella sp. (AMP) and Palaeeudyptes klekowskii (AVE) – 2 votes each.
Please stand for the golden, sea-is-your-sunshine anthem from a maximum high:
21. Triarthlon (Wed August 12th) – Gold: Calymene blumenbachii (AVA) – 19 votes; Silver: Paradoxides davidis (AVA) – 5 votes; Bronze: Olenellus thompsoni (LAU) – 4 votes; 4th place: Agnostus pisiformis (BAL) – 2 votes.
Please stand for the rocksy anthem of Avalonia:
22. 800 Ma (Wed August 12th) – Gold: Quadrireticulum (CAN) – 8 votes; Silver: Longfengshania (CHN) – 5 votes; Bronze: Sinosabellidites (CHN) – 3 votes; 4th place: Cycliocyrillium (USA) – 1 vote.
Please stand for the quadri-phonic anthem of marine who-dunnits:
23. 50 Ma Butterfly (Thurs August 13th) – Gold: Archaeolepis (GBR) – 5 votes; Silver: Prodryas (USA) – 2 votes (plus 69 Google Scholar hits on countback); Bronze: Protocoeliades (DEN) – 2 votes (plus 10 Google Scholar hits on countback). DNF: Praepapilio (USA).
Please stand for the anthem of little wings:
24. Marellathon (Thurs August 13th) – Gold: Burgess Shale (CAN) – 20 votes; Silver: Chengjiang (CHN) – 17 votes; Bronze: Sirius Passet (GRN) – 10 votes; 4th place: Wheeler Shale (USA) – 5 votes.
Please stand for the Burgessian anthem of palaeontological oddity:
25. Synchronized Swimming (Fri August 14th) – Gold: Dinoflagellates (ALV) – 8 votes (plus 104,000 Google Scholar hits on countback); Silver: Ammonites (MOL) – 8 votes (plus 65,000 Google Scholar hits on countback); Bronze: Graptolites (HEM) – 6 votes; 4th place: Foraminifera (RHZ) – 5 votes.
Please stand for the evo-devo anthem of the whirling whip creatures:
26. 4 x 10 Ma Relay (Fri August 14th) – Gold: Team Gryphaea (FRA/GBR) – 8 votes; Silver: Team Dino-bird (GER/CHN) – 6 votes; Bronze: Team Cetacea (PAK) – 3 votes. Did not finish: Team Equid (USA) – 0 votes.
Please stand for the devilish anthem of fossil bivalves that often end up as rolling stones:
Congratulations to all our Fossilympic medallists, and thanks to everyone who took part in #Fossilympics20. I very much hope you can join us for #Fossilympics21 next summer!
And if you’ve not yet listened to The Fossil Song, now would be a very good time to do so!
