Fossils are the preserved remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago — frozen in stone forever.
Ammonites were sea creatures related to today's nautilus and octopus. They had beautiful spiral shells and lived in the oceans for over 300 million years — until they went extinct along with the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
Their fossils are some of the most common and recognizable in the world. Some ammonite fossils are tiny, while others are bigger than a car tire!
Lived: 400 - 66 million years agoPetrified wood forms when a fallen tree is buried by sediment and minerals slowly replace the organic material, turning wood into stone — molecule by molecule! The process takes millions of years.
The colours you see — reds, oranges, yellows — come from different minerals like iron and manganese. Some pieces still show the original tree rings and bark texture perfectly preserved in stone!
Age: up to 300 million years oldTrilobites were some of the most successful animals ever to live on Earth. They survived for over 270 million years! Their name means "three lobes" because their body was divided into three sections from head to tail.
Trilobites had compound eyes made of calcite crystals — the same mineral that makes limestone. Some species had eyes with over 15,000 lenses! They were the first animals on Earth to develop complex vision.
Lived: 521 - 252 million years agoOrthoceras were ancient cephalopods — relatives of today's squid and nautilus — but with long, straight cone-shaped shells instead of spiral ones. They swam through the oceans by squirting water like a jet engine!
Their fossils are often found in large polished plates of black limestone, showing multiple specimens preserved side by side. The white shell contrasts beautifully against the dark rock. We have one of these plates in our collection!
Lived: 485 - 350 million years agoThe oldest fossils ever found are over 3.5 billion years old! They're tiny bacteria called stromatolites. That means life on Earth is almost as old as the planet itself.