Geological Sciences | Science Communication
If you ever happen to find yourself at the Clinch Mountain Lookout Restaurant in Thorn Hill, Tennessee, be sure to 1) try a piece of their vinegar pie and 2) ask to check out the spectacular outcrop featuring trilobite trace fossils directly behind the restaurant. Trace fossils are not remains of the organism itself (i.e. a… Continue reading Trilobite trace fossils
The Thornton Quarry located near Chicago, Illinois is the site of a 420 million year old Silurian reef. The reef was formed in a shallow shelf, epicontinental sea environment, so the rocks of the quarry are filled with fossils! Many of the beds in the quarry are naturally gently tilted, and the structure has an… Continue reading Thornton Quarry, Illinois
This is my pet trilobite. His name is Teddy. He’s been dead for probably around 400 million years, and I believe he’s a Devonian-aged specimen from Morocco (though I’m not entirely sure). Back when he was alive, Teddy and his other trilobite friends were among the dominant Paleozoic fauna but finally went extinct during the… Continue reading Trilobites
Yoho National Park’s 505-million-year-old Burgess Shale – home to some of the planet’s earliest animals, including a very primitive human relative – is one of the world’s most important fossil sites. Now, more than a century after its discovery, a compelling sequel has been unearthed: 42 kilometres away in Kootenay National Park, a new Burgess… Continue reading Geology Page: Researchers discover ‘epic’ new Burgess Shale site in Canada
Emily Zawacki, Ph.D. 