Joggins Fossils Cliffs

A widely contested hypothesis regarding coal’s origins was put to rest when the study of this fossil forest proved that it was generated on-site from decomposed debris from ancient forests. Lycopods, or scale trees, were the majority of these 300-million-year-old trees. The Coal Age (Carboniferous) giants, ancestors of today’s small club-mosses, rose to 30 metres.

Discovering the Joggins Fossils

• During his second visit to Joggins, Lyell identified Joggins as a fossil hotspot of global importance.
•  Alongside him was William Dawson, who would later become the most well-known geologist in Canada and a future peer of Sir William. In 1852, Lyell and Dawson discovered that a fossilised tree trunk contained the remnants of the first known fossilised reptile.
• Since its discovery over a century ago, the lizard-like species has been referred to as Hylonomus lyelli, which translates to “forest inhabitant.” It is the oldest real terrestrial organism ever found.
• Dawson referred to the location as “a unique repository,” It was there that the mud from a meandering river system was washed up and deposited, which caused the tree stump to become opaque to light.
• The cliffs, seen from many kilometres away, have been naturally eroded to a height of up to 12 metres by the tides.
• Researchers have unearthed a wealth of fascinating fossils, ranging from the first land snails to the earliest reptiles that have since been extinct.
• Specimens of plants and animals that have since been extinct provided a glimpse into Earth’s early history when species that lived on land first emerged from the water.
• The sheer cliffs reveal the whole ecology of an ancient rainforest. One of the fascinating trace fossils found in the fossil record is of a creature resembling a sowbug and measuring two metres in length.

Survey

• Sir William Logan, the man responsible for establishing the Geological Survey of Canada, chose Joggins in 1843 as the location for its first survey. 
• Commercial coal mining continued in the western Cumberland County Coal Basin until 1980. 
• To this day, the scientific and cultural significance of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs cannot be overstated. 
• In the Pennsylvanian Period (341 to 289 million years ago), the cliffs are considered by many geologists to have the most extensive record of life. 
• Joggins has been considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site for this and other reasons, including its significance in the history of science.

The Growth of Joggins Fossils Cliffs

• In the last two decades, interest in Joggins has grown significantly. 
• As a result of their efforts, amateur palaeontologists have added to our knowledge of fossils. 
• As a long-time resident of the Joggins area and an avid fossil collector, Don Reid generously donated his entire fossil collection to the Joggins Fossil Institute.
•  The Joggins Fossil Centre has a large collection of his fossils in the rural community.
• Melissa Grey, a palaeontologist, was hired as the institute’s first scientific curator in 2009. (JFI).
•  In addition to housing foreign palaeontologists and geologists, the Joggins Fossil Institute organises field expeditions for international palaeontologists, geologists, and rural communities.
• The scientific advisory committee consists of maritime academics and government officials. 
•  The committee also monitors and protects the Joggins Fossil Cliffs’ monitoring and conservation efforts.

Tourism and Travel

• It became much less difficult to get to Joggins in the 1980s and 1990s due to the construction of new roads and bridges.
• Tourism’s Positive Contribution to Nova Scotia’s Increasingly Robust Economy.
• Hikers will cross the Glooscap Trail as they make their way over the peaks and deep valleys of Fundy National Park. This trail will lead them to Joggins.
• According to local tradition, the famous Mi’kmaq transformer Glooscap was responsible for the construction of Nova Scotia and taming its formidable tides.
• The Bay of Fundy is home to the highest tides that may be found anywhere in the globe. During times of low tide, tourists have the opportunity to stroll on the bottom of the ocean or take part in tidal bore rafting excursions.
• It has been shaped in this manner to generate stunning rock formations, sea-facing cliff faces and waterfalls, and wooded regions. All of these features result from the ocean’s waves acting against the land.
• Ecosystem diversity and a plethora of wildlife may be abundant across the Joggins region. 
• Moose, eagles, and ospreys inhabit the area. People from all over the world come to witness migrating birds converge to Acadian-diked marshes in the fall.
• Since the early 1800s, fossils of Joggins have been discovered. 
• On the cliffs above the ocean, fossils from the Pennsylvanian period can be found in the coal seams that have been exposed. 
• Fossils of plants and animals that lived during the dinosaur era are among the most numerous. 

Conclusion

Large floods are each away from the fossilised stone in the coal daily. Fossils have been obtained by drilling core samples from deep shaft mines in this area. The town of Joggins has the fossilised remains of early Pennsylvanian coal. In 2008, the Joggins Fossil Cliffs were officially recognised by UNESCO as a natural heritage site.