University of Colorado Museum of Natural History: Exhibits

Fossils: Clues to the Past

In the heart of the Rocky Mountain region, Colorado contains a great variety of fossils of ancient organisms that lived in many environments over millions of years. Together with the rocks they are found in, fossils provide clues to an ancient and important story - the history of life on our planet.

Based in both biology and geology, paleontology is the study of fossils - evidence of ancient life preserved in rocks. Paleontologists tackle questions such as: 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 on 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.