An Illinois coal mine holds a snapshot of life on earth 300 million years ago, when a massive earthquake "froze" a swamp in time

This ammonite is on display in our Elements gallery.

Fossil find pushes back the emergence of animals by millions of years. Andrew Masterson reports.

In the spring of 2015 the Eocene aged Green River Formation near Kemmerer, Wyoming yielded another amazing fossil discovery. A fully articulated primitive horse ancestor, since nicknamed “Olive”.

From the Solnhofen Limestone Formation, Germany, Late Jurassic. Archaeopteryx, meaning "Ancient Wing," was discovered in 1859. Perhaps the most famous fossils in the world, ten skeleton specimens are now known, some amazingly well preserved. Like modern birds, Archaeopteryx had long wing and tail feathers, and has been regarded as the first bird. We now know that complex feathers and other birdlike features were widespread among the meat-eating dinosaurs known as maniraptorans. While Archaeopteryx is recognized as one of the earliest ancestors of modern birds, many maniraptorans were almost as birdlike. The most spectacular Archaeopteryx fossil, the third of its kind to be found, the so-called "Berlin" specimen (of which this is a copy), exhibits strikingly clear feather impressions, including flight feathers on the wings.

Explore nature with this wall art print of watercolor fossil illustrations. Multiple types of fossils are featured, including a nautilus, ammonite, fern, fish, trilobite, and shell. Decorate with this poster for some paleontology street cred! This could be a cool wall art gift for a geologist, scientist, or amateur fossil collector. All prints are created from my original illustrations, and each one is signed individually. This print size is 8x10 inches. This is a high-quality giclee print on archival, 100% cotton paper. Prints are sent in a flat mailer, backed with chipboard. Prints do not include mattes or frames. Prints may sometimes be slightly bowed, but flatten easily when framed. Color representation may vary between different screens. Like rocks and minerals? Check out this print as well: https://www.etsy.com/listing/557033647/gemstone-crystal-print-colorful-rocks **SHIPPING** Delayed USPS shipping times in the US and Canada are possible. I will process your orders ASAP and apologize if the shipping time is longer than the estimate given by Etsy, but I am not responsible for shipping delays once the package is with the Post Office. Thank you for your understanding! If you would like to sign up for occasional email updates, copy and paste the link below in your browser: https://mailchi.mp/b61ff5e03976/katieillustrates

We can only guess what the future will look like. But the past? We have evidence to help us paint a picture of it. To visit it.