Layer 6 - You’ve reached the top rock layer of the canyon! The fossil plants that you see along this final part of your journey look very different. The branches have many tiny, needle-like leaves. They remind you of pine trees you might find in the forest. You notice large fossil skulls in this rock layer too. The teeth found within these skulls are different—instead of sharp, pointed teeth, now they’re mostly flat.

Layer 5 - As you continue climbing up to the top of the canyon, the fossils you find change slightly again. Now the fossil skulls are getting bigger—much, much bigger! The largest skulls contain many sharp, curved, pointed teeth. Luckily, these don’t remind you of animals alive today. There is one skull, though, that looks very similar to an alligator you might find hiding in a swamp.

Layer 4 -You continue your journey and notice big changes. You no longer see shell fossils. You notice fossil plants that are similar to the ones you’ve seen lower in the canyon. There are also several fossil skulls here that look like tiny lizard skulls. Maybe they’re the remains of ancient animals that once walked on land.

Layer 3 - As you continue your climb up the canyon, you start to notice a few fish fossils again. But now there’s something different. In this rock layer, you also see lots and lots of fossil shells! Some of these fossil shells look quite similar to shells that you may have seen wash up on the beach.

Layer 2 - As you climb up, you no longer see fish fossils. Instead, the rock becomes stuffed with plant fossils. Each branch looks like it has many tiny little leaves. You also notice the fossil of an insect with four wings. Part of the rock is darker here and doesn’t seem to have any fossils.

Layer 1 - The first things you notice are several fossils that look like the bones of fish! You also notice a few sharp, pointy fossils. Maybe they’re teeth? Perhaps they once belonged in the mouth of a large sea creature.