A new exhibit at the Royal Tyrrell Museum has featured 'Oldest Fossils'

Thousands of people visit Drumheller, Alta., each year to explore prehistoric times, and now have the opportunity to better understand the world's first life forms.

The Royal Tyrrell Museum's newest exhibit First life studies life from the beginning of chronology.

“This exhibit features some of the oldest fossils on the planet,” said museum executive director Lisa Meking.

The fossils on display date back to 4.6 billion years ago and an evolutionary boom that dates back to about 500 million years ago. Some of them were found in Alberta.

“During what we call the Cambrian explosion, you start to see the earliest forms of life on Earth and the earliest structures of the animal tree,” said Making.

“This is an example of the evolution of life on Earth.”

There are also interactive displays, hands-on opportunities, and models that help tell the story of how tiny aquatic creatures evolved from dinosaurs to humans.

“It's going to help us sort out some of that timeline information and give some light and color and context to some important parts of our evolutionary history.”

The province has contributed nearly $400,000 to the project.

“This is new First life The exhibition will continue to drive that tourism to our province,” said Tanya Feer, Alberta's Arts, Culture and Women's Status.

“It will be an amazing experience for regular or first-time visitors to the museum.”

While guests will see something new in space, the Burgess Shale diorama for the famous fossil site in the Canadian Rockies hasn't changed.

“Many people have amazing memories of stepping onto the transparent glass floor and seeing these incredible creatures expand in front of them up to 12 times their size,” Meking said.

“We were able to really integrate it into both the Precambrian and Cambrian storylines more beautifully and effectively.”

In 2023, the Royal Tyrrell Museum received 529,000 visitors from over 150 countries.

opening First life The museum arrives on the day it begins its summer season.

The facility is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m