Fossils
Welcome to the world of New Zealand‘s Fossils!
Fossils are amazing time capsules that tell us about past life forms and environments.
They are the remains of plants or animals that have been preserved in the Earth’s crust. Usually they are the hard parts of a creature, such as a shell or bones.
Check out current research by scientists at GNS Science studying fossils in the Paleontology Department
New Zealand's largest molluscan fossil, an ammonite, 1.5m in diameter which was extracted from Jurassic sedimentary rock.
Learn more
- Finding fossils
- New Zealand fossils
- Fossils – what for?
- The Kiwi Fossil Hunters Handbook
- A Photographic Guide to Fossils of New Zealand
Explore our
- Photo Galleries
- Lesson Plans
- Posters
- Interactive Games
- Videos
- Paleontology Collections and Databases
Take a virtual tour of
- the Dead Precious Exhibition
- NZ fossil field collection localities