The Future is Fossils

FOUND IN OUR GROUND

Travel with us 290 million years into the past, to the Permian Period - a time before the existence of birds, flowers, or even dinosaurs! Back then, Prince Edward Island was a very different place: A subtropical, landlocked locale at the centre of a super continent called Pangea.

Powerful rivers flowed through the land, carrying red sediment down from ancient mountains. Over millions of years, that red sediment piled up and formed the Island sandstone we see everywhere today.

These stones tell the story of where the Island came from, but they tell other stories too. Island rocks are full of fossils of Permian plants and animals, just like the ones you see here. These fossils are helping scientists and researchers better understand an important chapter in the story of life on planet earth.

MODERN FOSSILS

What makes something a fossil? Age? Size? How often we use it? Dinosaurs usually spring to mind when the word fossil is used but sometimes, we use it just to mean old. That is how the idea for our Pop-Up Museum began!

Everything on display was, at one time, the newest technology. Each item made our lives easier. But eventually something better came along and each piece was abandoned as a fossil of technology. Thankfully, we’re in the business of collecting old things!

As you scroll through each of these items, think about what each artefact did. What do we have today that does the same thing? Do we have technology today that does many things, instead of just one?

FOSSIL HUNTING

Fossils are everywhere on Prince Edward Island. When you’re out on the beach this summer, be sure to keep your eyes open - you never know what you might find!

If you think you’ve found a fossil, please don’t try to move it or take it home. Instead, note the exact location and then contact the government of Prince Edward Island at (902) 368-6895 or by e-mail at archaeology@gov.pe.ca. Our fossil heritage is precious, and it is up to all of us to preserve and protect it.