Photo: Ellen Morris Bishop Fossils of Metasequoia, commonly
called “dawn redwoods” are abundant in Oregon’s fossil record
particularly near the Painted Hills and the towns of Mitchell
and Fossil. Past citizens of Oregon can be found in rocks
throughout the state ranging in age from 10 thousand to hundreds
of millions of years old. Marine fossils can be found along
today’s coast or far inland, marking ancient coastlines. One of
the world’s greatest records of life after the dinosaurs and
before the Ice Age is found in the John Day Basin. Arid eastern
Oregon is home to Ice Age fossils, records of a colder, wetter
time. Keep your eyes open as you explore Oregon, you may just
meet one of its past citizens! In this window, you can learn
what is a fossil and how marine fossils are found not only along
the coast, but also hundreds of miles inland! You can also see
representations of the eight main communities of fossils from
the John Day Fossil Beds-one of the best preserved and most
complete records of life ranging