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Calder, John

Ancient Fossil Footprint Discovered in Prince Edward Island, Canada

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Patrick Brunet, an amateur fossil hunter in Prince Edward Island, has stumbled upon an incredible discovery: an animal footprint estimated to be 290 million years old, making it the oldest of its type ever discovered. The significant find was made along the shore of Hillsborough Bay last spring, where Brunet noticed a curved-shaped piece of rock that caught his attention.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 25-centimetre-wide footprint is believed to belong to a pareiasaur, a plant-eating reptile that weighed up to one tonne and roamed during the Permian Period, about 290 to 220 million years ago.
  • The finding is significant because it provides evidence of the Island's fossil record of the Permian period, a pivotal time in Earth's history when the world underwent extreme global climate change.
  • Brunet's discovery is the result of his childhood fascination with fossils and his passion for hunting for them, which began in earnest in 2020 after reading John Calder's book, "Island at the Centre of the World: The Geological Heritage of Prince Edward Island."
  • A team of international scientists is working to confirm the footprint's authenticity, with two world-renowned paleontologists agreeing that it belongs to a pareiasaur.
  • The fossil will become part of the provincial collection at the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation once the study is completed.
  • The discovery highlights the importance of coastline erosion in exposing the Island's fossil record, although it also poses a threat to the existing coastline.

Statistics:

  • The estimated age of the footprint is 290 million years old.
  • The footprint measures 25 centimetres in width.
  • The pareiasaur is believed to have weighed up to one tonne.
  • The Permian Period occurred approximately 290 to 220 million years ago.
  • 49-year-old Patrick Brunet has been fascinated by fossils since childhood and has spent the past few years searching for them across the province.

Sources:

  • "The Canadian Press"
  • Government of Prince Edward Island
  • John Calder's book, "Island at the Centre of the World: The Geological Heritage of Prince Edward Island"

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