Nova Scotia
Geographical Location:
45,68° N – 64,43° W
Joggins is the world's richest, most representative and most significant Coal Age fossil site.
 © Parks Canada |
The Joggins fossil site encompasses a 10 km strip of sea cliffs up to 30 m high along the coast of the upper Bay of Fundy. Preserved in the cliff face is a succession of Pennsylvanian Period (Coal Age) fossil swamp forests, including standing tree trunks up to 6 m high, a vast array of invertebrates, fish, amphibians and remains of the world’s early reptiles. The largest fossil creature at Joggins is an arthropod nearly 2 m long. Twice-daily tides, among the world’s highest, continually erode the cliff face and expose new fossil beds. Since the mid-1800s, the fossil forests of Joggins have been extensively studied and have been so instrumental in the development of geological and evolutionary principles that the site is often referred to as a “Coal Age Galapagos.”