Monday, April 18, 2011

World's oldest reptile fossil returns home!

Big excitement this weekend at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nova Scotia: one of its earliest fossil discoveries is returning home for a 6 month visit London. It's the world's oldest reptile fossil which was discovered at Joggins in 1859 and it's the most important fossil ever discovered there.

The fossilized remains of Hylonomus lyelli, the earliest occurrence of reptilian life ever discovered and is only found at Joggins. The 312-million-year-old Hylonomus lyelli fossil was actually declared as Nova Scotia's Provincial Fossil.

It is on loan to the Joggins Fossil Centre from the Museum of Natural History, London, England and will be on display at the Joggins Fossil Centre from April 23 until Oct. 31.

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