Joggins Fossil Cliffs

Joggins Fossil Cliffs

Covering an area of 689 hectares, the Joggins Fossil Cliffs is a paleontological site located on the coast of Nova Scotia in eastern Canada. This region is influenced by the world’s highest tides, which continuously erode the cliffs, forming a 23-meter-high escarpment where new fossils are frequently discovered. The cliff is hailed as the “Galápagos of the Coal Age” due to its wealth of Carboniferous-period (354 to 290 million years ago) fossils.

The rocks along the cliffs showcase the landscape of this period in Earth’s history, including the most complete record of terrestrial life fossils known from the Pennsylvanian Period. It holds the richest and most comprehensive Pennsylvanian-era (318 to 303 million years ago) fossil record in the world. The fossil cliffs contain the undisturbed remains and traces of early animals and the rainforests they inhabited, all preserved in situ. The site features a 14.7-kilometer stretch of coastal cliffs, low escarpments, rock platforms, and beaches that preserve three ecosystems: estuarine bay, floodplain rainforest, and fire-prone forested alluvial plains dotted with freshwater lakes. The cliffs are home to 148 fossil types across 96 classes, as well as 20 trackway sites—making it the most richly preserved representation of fossils from all three ecosystems known to date.

Joggins Fossil Cliffs

Why Go: The Most Complete Terrestrial Life Fossils

Continent: North America

Country/Region: Canada

Province/State: Nova Scotia