Residents can touch fossils found within 100 miles of Gainesville today.
About 500 fossils will be on display as part of National Fossil Day and Earth Science Week at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The event, held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., is free and open to the public.
There will also be guided tours through the Florida Fossils: Evolution of Life and Land exhibit, where the fossils are kept, said Elizabeth Brown, the marketing and public relations assistant at the museum. At the discovery carts, children and adults can touch and explore the fossils.
Volunteers will handle the carts as guests take an up-close look at different specimens from the museum, Brown said.
The fossils span at least 500 million years of Florida’s geological history, according to the museum’s website.
Brown said she hopes people come out to the museum to see fossils for themselves.
“I think it’s important for students to take advantage of this event and use the museum as a resource,” Brown said. “This is a way where they can really dive in and explore fossils further.”
Lilian Sanchez, a UF microbiology sophomore, said that while she doesn’t study archeology, she thinks the National Fossil Day event is a great way for students and Gainesville residents to learn more.
“I find bones to be interesting, and seeing skeletons of different creatures that roamed the earth — I think would be a pretty cool experience,” the 19-year-old said.
