THE WEST COAST FOSSIL PARK: WHERE PAST AND PRESENT MEET

Pippa Haarhoff, Manager, West Coast Fossil Park

This visit to the West Coast Fossil Park will cover the history of the fossil site and the development of the park. Participants will spend time at the active fossil dig site where the remains of five-million-year-old animals, including sivatheres (short-neck giraffe) and gomphothere (four-tusked elephants), were buried and fossilised . How fossilisation of these animals happened, how they were discovered and their significance will be explained. The newly opened visitor centre where art and science are brought together in a unique manner will be visited.

Participants will meet at the Fossil Park. There is a restaurant on site.

Recommended reading

Hendey, Q.B. 1982. Langebaanweg, a Record of Past Life. Cape Town: South African Museum

 McCarthy, T and Rubidge, B. 2005. The Story of Earth & Life. Cape Town: Struik Publishers.

 Ward, P.D. and Brownlee, D. 2000. Rare Earth. New York: Copernicus.