Fossil beach

A Fossil beach is an ancient or prehistoric beaches and sea floor surfaces which are revealed in modern geological form. Often a Fossil Beach is discovered in urban or rural areas where a limestone quarry or strip mining operation is present. As an example, Miami, Florida which derives much of its revenues from limestone mining has Fossil Beach sites in many regions. One of the most famous is the Pinecrest beds, a fossil bearing rock formation found in the most southern part of the city. The Pinecrest beds is just a segment of a much larger geological formation, The Tamiami formation which spans from Miami-Dade county through Collier County, Florida.

The range of fossil specimens found at a Fossil Beach vary according to the age of the bedrock or the sea floor matrix and the type of prehistoric environment that was present at the location. At a Fossil Beach in Southwest England scientists find a variety of Jurassic period (from 206 to 144 million years ago) ammonites. In South Florida's Fossil Beaches one finds Miocene aged Fossil Shells and marine animal fossils including the teeth of the extinct Megalodon shark. A more extensively studied Fossil Beach is located in South West England in the area of Port Phillip and Morningshire.