| | Sand Dollar, Pleistocene Epoch, North
Carolina. |
Come with us and explore Florida’s ancient past
on one of our fossil expeditions! Florida is known as one
of the richest areas for fossils in the world. There are
a few reasons for this, one of which is our geological history.
There has been very little geological volatility such as
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to disrupt or disturb
the ancient record of life in this state. Also, an extensive
river system seems to have been a part of Florida’s
landscape for a very long time. This contributes greatly
to the amount of fossil material to be found here as it
is a key factor in the preservation of animal and plant
remains. Anything that dies and is quickly buried by sediment
is more likely to fossilize well. Due to Florida’s
long history of sea level rise and fall, this means anything
from mammoths to sharks can be found here!
Florida’s surface fossil record goes all the way
back to the Eocene epoch, approximately 50 million years
ago. During that time, while sea level rose and fell many
times, multitudes of land dwelling animals and sea life
lived and died here. Sometimes, if the conditions were right,
their remains fossilized and remained entombed in various
types of sediment. The action of water, such as that in
rivers and the ocean, very often uncovers these fossil producing
sediments. Many times there are a mix of terrestrial (land–dwelling)
and marine (ocean-dwelling) fossils in the same location.
Sifting river gravel is a time-tested method to find many
of these remains.
The list of animals that have been found here is very extensive
and many books have been written about them. On that list
are 60-foot sharks, stingrays, fish, whales, dugongs, manatees,
dolphins, walruses, seals, alligators, crocodiles, turtles
snakes, birds, mastodons, mammoths, antelope, bison, camels,
ancient horses, giant armadillos, 20-foot sloths, saber-tooth
cats, enormous lions, rhinos, giraffe-like animals, bear-sized
beavers, and many other extra-large and long-extinct beasts.
Dinosaurs are not a part Florida’s fossil heritage
as Florida was under the ocean during the time dinosaurs
lived.
Of all the animals mentioned above, the most common finds
here in the rivers are shark teeth. On any given day, many
teeth are usually found. These are from several species,
some extinct, some still living. Tiger sharks, lemon, gray,
snaggletooth, mako, and the big guy, megalodon, are all
found here. Mixed in with the sharks, fish, whales and dolphins
are much more recent land animal remains such as many of
the animals previously mentioned and more.
Paleo Discoveries interactive programs bring the excitement
of discovery to classrooms and outside the classrooms through
our field trips. Parents and educators typically have as
much fun as the kids, especially during fossil expeditions.
As you learn about Florida’s past and explore the
local natural history of the area, it enriches your understanding
of our place in this world and gives you a sense of our
place in time.
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