Joggins Fossil Cliffs

　　The Joggins Fossil Cliffs cover an area of 689 hectares and are a paleontological site located on the coast of Nova Scotia in eastern Canada. This area 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 cliffs are known as the “Coal Age Galápagos” due to their abundance of Carboniferous-period fossils (354 to 290 million years ago).

　　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 is the richest and most comprehensive Pennsylvanian fossil record in the world (318 to 303 million years ago). The fossil cliffs contain fossils and remains of some of the earliest animals and the rainforests they inhabited, all preserved in situ, intact and undisturbed. 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 plain with freshwater lakes. There are 96 groups comprising 148 species of fossils on the cliffs, as well as 20 trackways, making it the most abundant representation of fossils from these three ecosystems anywhere in the world.

　　Joggins Fossil Cliffs Must-visit reason: The most complete terrestrial life fossils Continent: North America Country/Region: Canada Province/State: Nova Scotia