Limestones
in the South of the Island were formed, in the Carboniferous period,
around
330 million years ago
When Limestones were formed the Isle of Man was positioned close to
the equator with much of the Island submerged beneath a shallow, tropical
sea. This sea was inhabited by organisms such as
corals, crinoids (a type of brittle star), numerous shellfish,
primitive sharks and algae. The algae would grow together as clumps
of slime on the sea bed. The slime would accrete calcium carbonate
and trap mud, building up a solid mound
of limestone representing an early form of reef.
