The BBC has lastly name-checked the person who discovered the prehistoric star of David Attenborough’s newest documentary after a barrage of complaints that he had been “airbrushed” from the programme.
There was outrage that Philip Jacobs, who found the 150m-year-old fossilised pliosaur throughout a seashore stroll in Dorset, was solely fleetingly talked about within the credit of Attenborough and the Big Sea Monster slightly than in the primary physique of the much-lauded present.
Greater than 5,000 folks signed a petition that criticised the BBC and known as for the creature to be named after Jacobs.
The makers of the programme have now gone again to the iPlayer model of the present and inserted the caption: “Unique discovery footage courtesy of Philip Jacobs” over his video clip of the second he discovered the fossil.
His identify has additionally beenmoved to the highest of the “with due to” part in the long run credit and Jacobs has written an article entitled: “How I found the Big Sea Monster” for the BBC web site.
Jacobs, an artist and textile designer from West Bexington, Dorset, stated: “Whereas it might have been good to have my identify really spoken by Sir David, slightly than being [described as] ‘a fossil fanatic’, I’m happy that the BBC has made amends and I wish to thank the producer for engaged on making an attempt to right this omission.”
A spokesperson for the BBC stated: “We labored intently with the folks concerned within the discovery and excavation of the pliosaur, together with Philip Jacobs, who’s credited on the finish of the programme.
“We additionally filmed a brief interview with Philip, however sadly the time constraints of a 60-minute programme meant we weren’t capable of embrace every part we filmed. Our intention is to have fun the exhausting work and experience of all concerned, and we’ve now name-checked Philip on the footage that he supplied of his discover.”
Jacobs, 69, who has been an avid fossil hunter for 40 years, noticed what at first seemed to be an odd-looking rock at Kimmeridge Bay in April 2022. When he regarded nearer, he knew it was the snout of a pliosaur. Relatively than take the fossil residence with him, Jacobs buried it, marked the spot with some driftwood and sought assist.
The skilled Steve Etches helped unearth the remainder of the pliosaur fossil. The specimen went on show on the Etches Museum in Dorset firstly of the month and has been an enormous hit with guests.
The explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes was amongst those that criticised the BBC, saying: “It’s an absolute shame that his reward to the world has been ignored and undermined, by the BBC … totally shameful.”