The Fossils of Diligent River

"What makes the Parrsboro area the world's most important source of Carboniferous trackways is the disposition of the beds --- nearly vertical and at right angles to the shore." (Carroll, R. L. et al. 1972. "Vertebrate Palaeontology")

Each bed (or layer) of rock is called a horizon. Examinations of the site revealed footprints in a number of horizons, including microsaur prints and tracks made by a larger tetrapod, possibly an amphibian. The plant fossils include upright fern stems (possibly Sphenopteris sp.) with fronds trapped between the parallel beds. These ferns were present in several horizons.

Coarse sandstone units contain plant fragments from Calamites sp., Lepidodendron sp., Sigillaria sp. and Cordaites sp. More finely grained siltstones were also noted with delicately preserved Sphenopteris sp, Alethopteris sp., Lepidodendron sp. and Whittleseya sp, as well as smaller microsaur or amphibian tracks and arthropod tracks. Spirorbis were noted attached to fern stems.

In the exposed panel of rock originally discovered by Cody McLellan, there are at least four different types of footprints. One of these trackways could be the first of its kind ever found!

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