World Heritage Identification Number: 1686
World Heritage since: 2023
Category: Natural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada
Continent: Americas
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Anticosti Island: A Palaeontological Treasure Trove
Anticosti Island, located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, off the coast of Quebec, Canada, is a unique and significant geological site that offers a remarkable glimpse into Earth's ancient past. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, Anticosti stands out as the most complete and best-preserved palaeontological record of the first mass extinction of animal life, which occurred approximately 447-437 million years ago.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Situated on the island of Anticosti, the largest island in Quebec, this property is the most complete and best preserved palaeontological record of the first mass extinction of animal life, 447-437 million years ago. It contains the best preserved fossil record of marine life covering 10 million years of Earth history. The abundance, diversity, and exquisite preservation of the fossils are exceptional and allow for world-class scientific work. Thousands of large bedding surfaces allow the observation and study of shell and sometimes soft-bodied animals that lived on the shallow sea floor of an ancient tropical sea.Encyclopedia Record: Anticosti Island
Anticosti is an island located between the Jacques Cartier and Honguedo Straits, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in L'Île-d'Anticosti (Municipality), Minganie MRC, Côte-Nord, Quebec, Canada.Additional Site Details
Area: 18,240 hectares
Coordinates: 49.5386111111 , -63.2452777778
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NASA, Public domain
