Fossils

Graphic drawing of three dinosaurs walking away leaving footprints in mud
Fossil artwork produced by D. Caldwell for the National Park Service
Fossils are evidence of ancient life. From the massive bones of dinosaurs to the delicate impression of primitive plants, fossils come in all shapes and sizes. The remains of an actual organism, such as a shell, leaf, or bone, are known as body fossils, and those that record the action of an organism, such as a footprint or burrow, are known as trace fossils. There are National Natural Landmarks designated for their paleontological resources nationwide. Some of these include:

Unga Island AK
Red Mountain Expressway Cut AL
Comb Ridge AZ
Rancho La Brea CA
Sharktooth Hill CA
Garden Park Fossil Area CO
Indian Springs Trace Fossil Site CO
Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas CO
West Bijou Site CO
Dinosaur Trackway CT
Hagerman Fauna Sites ID
Hanging Rock and Wabash Reef IN
Ohio Coral Reef (Falls of the Ohio) IN/KY
Big Bone Lick KY
Mississippi Petrified Forest MS
Bridger Fossil Area MT
Bug Creek Fossil Area MT
Cloverly Formation Site MT
Hell Creek Fossil Area MT
Ashfall Fossil Beds NE
Riker Hill Fossil Site NJ
Ghost Ranch NM
Ichthyosaur Site NV
Fossil Coral Reef NY
Petrified Gardens NY
Chazy Fossil Reef NY/VT
John Day Fossil Beds OR
Bijou Hills SD
Mammoth Site of Hot Springs SD
Big Bone Cave TN
Dinosaur Valley TX
Palo Duro Canyon State Park TX
Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry UT
Ginkgo Petrified Forest WA
Como Bluff WY
Crooked Creek Natural Area WY
Sand Creek WY/CO
 

Additional NNL Fossil Resources

 

Last updated: October 13, 2022

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