Heritage with Related Tags
Monte San Giorgio
Monte San Giorgio, a pyramid-shaped wooded mountain beside Lake Lugano, is considered the best fossil record of marine life from the Triassic period (245 to 230 million years ago). The sequence records life in a tropical lagoon environment, sheltered by offshore coral reefs and partially separated from the open sea. A wide variety of marine life thrived in this lagoon, including reptiles, fish, bivalves, ammonites, echinoderms and crustaceans. Due to the lagoon's proximity to land, the remains also include terrestrial reptiles, insects and plant fossils, making the fossil source extremely rich.
Ischigualasto / Talampaya Natural Parks
Located in the desert region of central Argentina on the western border of the Pampilla Mountains, these two connected parks cover 275,300 hectares and contain the most complete known continental fossil record from the Triassic (245 to 208 million years ago). Six geological formations within the park contain fossils of various mammals, dinosaurs, and plant ancestors, shedding light on the evolution of Triassic vertebrates and the nature of the paleoenvironment.
Stevns Klint
The geological site includes a 15-kilometer-long fossil-rich coastal cliff that provides exceptional evidence for the Chicxulub meteorite impact at the end of the Cretaceous period, approximately 65 million years ago. Researchers believe this caused the largest mass extinction event ever recorded on Earth, resulting in the loss of more than 50% of life on Earth. The site preserves a record of the ash cloud created by the meteorite impact—the exact location is off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. An exceptional fossil record can be seen at the site, showing a complete succession of fauna and microfauna following the mass extinction, documenting the process of species recovery.
Anticosti
Located on Anticosti Island, the largest island in Quebec, this site contains the most complete and best-preserved paleontological record of the first mass extinction of animals (447-437 million years ago), and includes the best-preserved fossil record of marine life spanning 10 million years of Earth history. The number, variety and perfection of its fossils are unparalleled, allowing for world-class scientific research. Thousands of large sedimentary surfaces allow us to observe and study shells and some molluscs from the ancient tropical shallow seabed.