Unearthing Ancient Seashells: Inside the Arizona Fossil Site Where Kids Hunt for Real Brachiopods and Bryozoans

Seashells are scattered across a hillside beside an Arizona highway, and they’re older than the dinosaurs. These little brachiopods and lacy bryozoans lived in a warm, shallow sea about 300 million years ago. Today that old seafloor sits right off a paved parking lot. Kids can scan the gray rock, poke through loose gravel, and spot real fossils with their own eyes. Some are tiny, so sharp eyes win the day. I like how simple the whole thing is. There’s no gift shop, no ticket booth, a