Kiribu

Jurassic Coast

Location: Dorset and East Devon coast in the UK
Type: Vertebrate and Invertebrate, Marine and Terrestrial fossils from the Mesozoic era

This awesome site along the south coast of England is a fantastic place to go fossil hunting, the 90 mile stretch has plenty of fossils dotted around, particularly at Church Cliffs and a little east of Charmouth car park. Note that you can’t hammer directly into the cliffs, but you can sift through the rockfall below them.

Messel Pit Fossil Site

Location: Messel, near Darmstadt, Germany
Type: wide range of exceptionally well preserved fossils from the Eocene era

This disused quarry has plenty of fossils, with many displayed at the nearby Messel town museum, Museum of Hessen and Senckenberg Museum, and you can visit the pit and see it from a viewing platform. You must be on an organised tour to enter the pit though.

Monte San Giorgio

Location: Canton of Ticino, Switzerland and Italy
Type: The best collection of marine fossils from the Triassic period

This fantastic site is located on a wooded mountain on the border of Switzerland and Italy, overlooking the beautiful Lake Lugano. There isn’t much to see in the way of fossils though, as many have been taken away to museums. However, there is the Fossil museum in Meride with a number of fossils on display and information about the location.

Sangiran Early Man Site

Location: Near Surakarta (Solo) on the Island of Java, Indonesia
Type: Hominid fossils, including Meganthropus palaeo and Pithecanthropus erectus/Homo erectus

Java is famous for the discovery of Java man in 1891, however nearby Sangiran is is one of the key sites for the understanding of human evolution, with half of all know hominid fossils having been found there. The Sangiran Archaeological Museum is located a little way outside Surakarta and houses a large collection of fossils and information from the nearby sites.

Burgess Shale Formation

Location: Near Field, British Columbia, Canada
Type: Fossils from the Mid Cambrian period – around 505 million years ago

This awesome fossil site is one of the most famous in the world, which a massive number of exceptionally well preserved fossils amidst some spectacular scenery. You cannot visit the site on your own, however you can go on one of the guided tours available.

Dinosaur Provincial Park

Location: About two and a half hours drive from Calgary, Canada
Type: Fossils from a wide range of species including Dinosaurs

This spectacular site is well known for being one of the richest dinosaur fossil locations in the world, with over 500 specimens found and 40 species discovered since Joseph Tyrrell spotted the first one (an Albertosaurus) in 1884. You can visit the park, but many of the fossils are housed at the Royal Tyrrell Museum a few hours drive away.

Ischigualasto / Talampaya Natural Parks

Location: Near La Rioja, Argentina
Type: Fossils representing the entire Triassic Period

These beautiful parks have a fantastic number of fossils, with the most interesting finds being at Ischigualasto including the carnivorous archosaur Herrerasaurus and Eoraptor lunensis, one of the world’s earliest dinosaurs. You can take guided trips in both parks, which include seeing some plant fossils.

Australian Fossil Mammal Sites

Location: Riversleigh, Queensland and Naracoorte, South Australia
Type: Mammalian fossils showing the evolution of local fauna

Both parks have a fantastic selection of fossils, the ones at Riversleigh being particularly well preserved, with an excellent display at the Riversleigh Fossil Centre. The guided cave tours at Naracoorte are an awesome experience, taking you through some of the 26 caves to see a number of in situ fossils. The Wonambi Fossil Centre displays reconstructions of the local Megafauna that existed around 50,000 years ago.

Shark Bay

Location: Denham and Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia
Type: Living fossils!

While most fossils are generally of extinct fauna, the Stromatolites are some of the most ancient forms of life found on the planet. While the Stromatolites at Shark bay are only 2000 to 3000 years old, recent evidence shows that similar Stromatolites existed as far back as 3.5 billion years ago. Plenty of local tours take you to see the Stromatolites. Don’t forget to check out the dolphins too though!

Cradle of Humankind

Location: Near Johannesburg, South Africa
Type: Fossils of our ancestors

A number of sites in South Africa have produced a phenomenal collection of hominid fossils, most notably Sterkfontein. The famous Taung Child was found in 1924 and is estimated to be 2.5 million years old. The fantastic Maropeng Visitors Centre has interactive displays, and tours in to the caves at Sterkfontein.

Wadi Al-Hitan

Location: Near Cairo, Egypt
Type: Fossils of the earliest whales

This site has hundreds of fossils of early whale forms, excellently preserved – some even have their stomach contents intact. Fossils of sharks, crocodiles, sawfish, turtles and rays are also present, but the whale fossils reveal the mystery of their evolution. Trips are available from Cairo, but we recommend you look for sustainable tours by camel or foot rather than 4WD.

Also Consider

• Hominid fossils at Atapuerca in Spain, Lower Valley of the Omo and Lower Valley of the Awash in Ethiopia
• Various fossils showing local evolution at Lorentz National Park in Indonesia
• Fossils from the Carboniferous period at Joggins Fossil Cliffs
• Fish fossils from the Devonian Period at Miguasha National Park in Canada
• Fossil Forrest, Curio Bay, New Zealand
• Fantastic dinosaur tracks at Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum, Connecticut, USA
• Giant Marsupial fossils at the Willandra Lakes Region in Australia
• Petrified trees and dinosaur fossils at La Leona, Argentina
• Trilobites and Ammonites at Erfoud, Morocco