Paleontology in the National Parks

The principal mission of the National Park Service is the preservation, protection, and stewardship of natural and historic resources "in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Fossils and the natural geologic processes which form, preserve, and expose them are included in this mission.

Paleontological resources, or fossils, are any remains of past life preserved in geologic context. There are two main types of fossils: body fossils and trace fossils. Body fossils arethe physical remains of ancient organisms (shells, bones, teeth, plant leaves, etc.) while trace fossils preserve evidence of an organism's activity or behavior (footprints, trackways, burrows, coprolites, etc.). Fossils are non-renewable natural resources that possess great scientific, educational, and interpretive value.

246 National Park Service areas are known to contain fossils either in the rocks of the park, in the park's museum collections, or in cultural contexts (such as petrified wood projectile points). Only 13 of these parks were established specifically to preserve fossils. Fossils from parks collectively span every period of geologic history from stromatolites one billion years old at Glacier National Park to Ice Age fossils in various Alaskan parks. Many of these fossils represent rare, specimens and assemblages which are often nationally or globally significant..

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Featured Programs

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Related Links

• Paleontological Resources Preservation Act
• Links to Paleontology Museums and Partners
• Geologic Heritage Preservation in the NPS
• Geology Parks Tour
• Official State Fossils
• Historic Documents Collection—NPS Geology
• Other Useful Resources and Links

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Key Contacts

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