A formation is a layer of rock with fossil animals and plants. The layer is like a snapshot of a single place and time, and can show us a lot about that habitat and the animals and plants that lived there.
Elephants do not live alone in empty space. They live alongside lions, zebras, bees, bee-eater birds, mice…and all these creatures and many more we may not even think of depend on plants like grass and acacia trees.
In a fossil formation, we can see the bones of Stegosaurus alongside the bones of all sorts of other animals. If we’re lucky, we’ll find fossils of plants, insects, snails, and all sorts of delicate things that tell us about the habitat in which Stegosaurus lived.
Fossil formations have names that help us tell them apart, and here you can find out more about the habitats of some of your favorite dinosaurs, and find out more about the place and time they lived.
This page focuses on formations that formed during the Jurassic Period, the golden age of Dinosaurs, alongside other general pages such as Jurassic insects.
Kayenta Formation:
Early Jurassic North America. The rocks of this formation are found stretched across the Southwestern states. Dilophosaurus is the biggest star of this area.
Morrison Formation:
Late Jurassic North America. The rocks of this formation stretch all across the Western United States, and cover a huge span of time. It is famous for many dinosaurs, including Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Brachiosaurus.
Jurassic insects:
Flowers don’t show up until later, so there are no bees, but there are lots of other creepy crawly things! Crickets, beetles, and all sorts of six-legged friends fill the Jurassic period with music and color.
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