Fossils: Clues to the Past
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Based in both biology and geology, paleontology is the study of fossils—evidence of ancient life preserved in rocks. Paleontologists tackle questions like
- How has life changed and evolved through time?
- Where do today's plants and animals come from?
- What did ancient plants and animals look like?
- What causes species to disappear or go extinct?
- How has the environment changed through time?
Understanding the past is a key to understanding the present and future impacts of environmental change to life on Earth, including ourselves.
We invite you to explore the Paleontology Hall and the exhibit Fossils: Clues to the Past to see how fossils are studied and what things can be learned from them.
In this exhibit you can
- Touch petrified woods, giant fossil clams, and a dinosaur footprint
- See a Pteranodon, saber-toothed cats, dinosaur skulls, marine reptiles, and other prehistoric animals
- Explore a hands-on Discovery Cart with touchable fossils, books, and activity backpacks for kids
- Find out about the different types of fossils and how fossils form
- See delicate plant and insect fossils preserved in 34-million-year-old shale
- Learn how paleontologists use fossils to learn about the ecology and climate of the past
- Learn about the geology of Boulder
To learn more about the geology and paleontology of Colorado, try these great websites:
- Stone Lace: The Fragile World of Florissant Fossils
- Green River Paleobotany Project
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
- Ancient Colorados: Scenes from the Past 300 Million Years
- Colorado Geological Survey
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