SEA FOSSILS

            In Ontario, sea fossils are more likely to be found.  Here in are a southern agricultural field was once a wide sea named Champlain Sea.  For all the people who find fossilised shells (brachiopods in variety) in limestone rocks, or branching like sea floor plants and corals also fossilised in rock or surprisingly some worm burrows and in some times Beluga. 

            Limestone is one type of rock that contains a lot of fossils probably because it is a sedimentary rock and it forms under water.  As for the Champlain Sea, we can figure how limestone formed in our area and know in which kind of rock to look for fossils.  However, several types of limestone are found and can differ in fossil concentration within the rock.  Most fossils if it is not all of them are found within sedimentary rocks.  A few exceptions might be in debate for some scientist, but nothing approved world-wide.  Shale can also contain many fossils such as trilobites found in Owen Sound National Park near Georgian Bay.  In quarries or along riversides many fossils can be yielded or found.  Were rocks are exposed along the roads are also good sites, or sometimes in your own backyard.   No permits are required from the Ministry of Natural Resources to collect rocks that contain fossils.  However, you need the permission of the landowner to keep either the rocks or any piece at all.  The owner has the right to request a certain amount of money, but most people don’t bother with rocks much only geologist and future geology related folks really look closely at rocks.  Amazingly, some future geologist can start at a very young age to look at rocks.  No offence.

The purpose of this section is to offer images or pictures to identify your fossils at home.  Therefore I provided you with some examples found here and there in Ontario by many people. 

In Prescott and Russell, we have fossils as well.  Some examples would be brachiopods (SeaShells) that are very common.  Many types of sea fossils are found in Eastern Ontario.

Good luck identifying your specimens with the information below.

Melanie Villeneuve