Welcome!

The goal of the Digital Atlas of Ancient Life project is to help you identify fossils from particular regions and time periods, and better understand Earth's ancient life. Several Digital Atlas websites are now online:

We are also creating a free online "textbook" about paleontology. It is called the Digital Encyclopedia of Ancient Life (D.E.A.L.).

Chapters are being shared as they are completed and currently include:

• Nature of the Fossil Record
• Geological Time
• Systematics
• Class Gastropoda
• Class Cephalopoda
• Order Rugosa (rugose corals)
• Order Tabulata (tabulate corals)
• Intro to Embryophytes: Origin of land plants, Land Plant Life Cycle
• Angiosperms: Flowers, Life cycle, Pollination, Fruits ← New

Virtual Collections

We are developing online Virtual Collections of fossils. These feature interactive 3D models of fossil and modern specimens, all of which can be freely viewed and downloaded from our SketchFab page.

Explore here.

Virtual Exhibits

Explore virtual museum exhibits about different topics in natural history.

New: Our first virtual exhibit, "Survivors: Up Close with Living Fossils," is online now. Explore here.

Resources for Teachers

As part of the Digital Atlas of Ancient Life project, we have developed a number of lesson plans, activities, and associated materials that you may wish to use in your classroom.

Each lesson plan relates to either the Neogene or Ordovician Atlas. Most of the plans align with Next Generation Science Standards and are designed for elementary, middle school, or college-level students.

All of these resources may be freely accessed and downloaded from the Digital Atlas Teaching Page.