Fossils of the Nation's Capital: From Paleozoic Life to Whales and Megalodon Sharks

Washington, D.C., is not the first place most people look for fossils. Yet the national parks around the capital hold specimens spanning the whole of geologic time, from Paleozoic life — the first signs of life in the area, back to about 543 million years ago — to whales, dugongs and megalodon sharks.

Where they come from

The National Capital Area's paleontology collection draws on:

• Fort Washington Park and Piscataway Park;
• Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park;
• Rock Creek Park and Greenbelt Park;
• the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Suitland Parkway;
• Manassas National Battlefield Park.

The fossils range from microscopic to massive. They record the presence, evolution and diversity of ancient animals and plants, and specific events in the life and geology of the region.

Two kinds of fossil

Body fossils preserve a moment — the organism's death — and connect us to how life, landscapes and climates have changed, and how living things responded. Some finds are unexpected: dugongs and megalodon sharks in the capital region give clues to where species lived at different points in geologic history.

Sources

Based on "National Capital Area Natural History - Paleontology," from the National Park Service series Natural History in the National Capital Area (National Capital Parks-East), a work of the United States government in the public domain.