Fossil Cliffs, Permian, Triassic, Maria Island, Tasmania, Australia.

The Fossil Cliffs in Maria Island National Park (Tasmania, Australia) are one of the best examples in the world of fossils from the Permian and Triassic. A former limestone quarry reveals animal shells immortalized in rock for nearly 300 million years. The grey limestone is studded with thousands of mussel-like shells (Eurydesma), sea fans, coral-like creatures, scallop shells, and sea lilies. The dense deposits in what was a cold polar sea mark one of the biggest extinctions since the Cambrian. Amongst the fossils are large granite and quartzite rocks, drop stones transported by floating then melting ice. A hand picks up an ancient fossil.

Add to Cart Add to Lightbox Download

Filename: 04AUS-30054_Fossil-cliffs_Maria-Island.jpg
Copyright: © Tom Dempsey / PhotoSeek.com
Image Size: 3800x2850 / 1.9MB; http://www.photoseek.com/; Australia South Pacific Southern Hemisphere animal
Contained in galleries: AUSTRALIA: TASMANIA: Cradle Mt Wilderness, Painted Cliffs, Freycinet, Karst caves

The Fossil Cliffs in Maria Island National Park (Tasmania, Australia) are one of the best examples in the world of fossils from the Permian and Triassic. A former limestone quarry reveals animal shells immortalized in rock for nearly 300 million years. The grey limestone is studded with thousands of mussel-like shells (Eurydesma), sea fans, coral-like creatures, scallop shells, and sea lilies. The dense deposits in what was a cold polar sea mark one of the biggest extinctions since the Cambrian. Amongst the fossils are large granite and quartzite rocks, drop stones transported by floating then melting ice. A hand picks up an ancient fossil.