Joggins Fossil Cliffs
Joggins Fossil Cliffs is a 689-hectare paleontological site located on the coast of Nova Scotia in eastern Canada, described as the "Galapagos of the Coal Age" for the abundance of fossils found during the Carboniferous Period (354 million to 290 million years ago). The rocks at the site are considered the landmarks of this period in Earth history, the world's thickest and most comprehensive record of Pennsylvanian stratigraphy (dating back to 318 million to 303 million years ago), and contain the most complete record of terrestrial fossils of the time. These include remains and footprints of early animals and the rainforests in which they lived, all left in situ and undisturbed. The site, with 14.7 km of sea cliffs, low cliffs, rock platforms, and beaches, consists of remains of three ecosystems: estuarine bays, floodplain rainforests, and fire-prone forested floodplains with freshwater pools. The site contains the richest known fossil assemblage of each of these three ecosystems, including 148 species of fossils from 96 genera and 20 footprint assemblages. The site is listed as an outstanding representation of the major stages of Earth history.