| Parc provincial de Miguasha | |
|---|---|
| IUCN category III (natural monument or feature) | |
 Cliff of the Miguasha National Park | |
  Show map of Quebec Show map of Canada | |
| Location | Nouvelle, Avignon Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada |
| Nearest city | Dalhousie, New Brunswick |
| Coordinates | 48°06′38″N 66°22′10″W / 48.11056°N 66.36944°W / 48.11056; -66.36944 |
| Area | 87,3 ha |
| Established | 6 February 1985 |
| Governing body | SEPAQ |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | viii |
| Designated | 1999 (23rd session) |
| Reference no. | 686rev |
| Region | Europe and North America |
Miguasha Provincial Park (French: Parc national de Miguasha) is a protected area near Carleton-sur-Mer on the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec in Canada. Created in 1985 by the Government of Quebec, Miguasha was designated a World Heritage Site in 1999 in recognition of its wealth of fossils, which display a crucial time during the evolution of life on Earth. Other names for this site are the Miguasha Fossil Site, the Bay of Escuminac Fossil Site, the Upper Devonian Escuminac Formation, and the Hugh-Miller Cliffs. It is also sometimes referred to on fossil specimens as 'Scaumenac Bay' or 'Scaumenac Bay P.Q.'
Miguasha Natural History Museum
The park's museum features exhibits about the fossils and paleontology of the park. The museum's collection includes over 9,000 specimens of fossil fish and plants.
Geology
The coastal cliffs are Upper Devonian strata of grey sedimentary rock belonging to the Escuminac Formation. They are composed of alternating layers of sandstone and shale, which are 350–375 million years old. The area today supports mainly birch, aspen, and fir forests.
Palaeontological significance
Some of the fish, fauna, and spore fossils found at Miguasha are rare and ancient species. For example, Spermasporites is thought to be one of the oldest flowering plant genera on Earth.
History
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See also
- List of fossil sites (with link directory)
References
- "Miguasha National Park and Natural History Museum (Sépaq) | Gaspesian Heritage WebMagazine".
- As per reference, but possibly they meant 'seed plant'.
- UNESCO citation 686
External links
- Official Website
- Parcs Québec: Parc National de Miguasha (english)
- UNEP-WCMC profile
- World Heritage List: Miguasha National Park
| World Heritage Sites in Canada | |
|---|---|
| Western | |
| Eastern | |
| Northern | |
- IUCN Category III
- Gaspé Peninsula
- Paleozoic paleontological sites of North America
- National parks of Quebec
- World Heritage Sites in Canada
- Museums in Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
- Natural history museums in Quebec
- Tourist attractions in Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
- Protected areas of Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
- Fossil parks in Canada
- Paleontology in Canada
- Devonian paleontological sites
- Paleontology in Quebec
- 1985 establishments in Quebec
- Protected areas established in 1985