Have you ever wondered what secrets lie beneath your feet? At the Field Museum, there’s something truly amazing hidden in plain sight—the floor itself! You might think the best parts of the museum are the exhibits like the Evolving Planet or the Hall of Gems, but there’s a fascinating story right under your shoes.
The floor tiles of the museum are made from limestone filled with fossils. These fossils are the remains of tiny sea creatures that lived 325 million years ago in what is now Carthage, Missouri. Back then, this area was covered by an ancient ocean. Imagine a world with early horseshoe crabs, giant amphibians, and shark-like creatures swimming around!
These sea creatures, such as bryozoans, brachiopods, and starfish-like animals, lived and died in the ocean. Over time, they turned into stone and became fossils. These fossils were buried for millions of years, surviving through the ages of dinosaurs, saber-toothed cats, and mammoths. About a hundred years ago, they were dug up, polished, and used to create the floors and stairs of the museum.
Every year, more than a million people walk over these ancient fossils without even noticing them. They are silent witnesses to all the visitors, scientists, and exhibits that have come and gone over the years. Even though most people don’t see them, these fossils remind us of the incredible history we share with all living things on Earth.
It’s amazing to think that these fossils have been part of the museum for so long. My grandparents stood on them when they visited 20 years ago, and I stood on them during my first visit. These fossils connect us to the past and to each other.
Visiting the museum can inspire us to look for our own connections to the past. For example, a popular blog post on the Field Museum’s website is “The Beachgoer’s Guide to Lake Michigan Fossils and Rocks.” It encourages people to explore the shores of Lake Michigan, where you can find your own fossils in the rocks.
Imagine picking up a rock on the beach and discovering a fossil coral that’s been on a journey for millions of years. It’s like holding a piece of ancient history in your hands! This adventure shows that you don’t have to go far to find amazing stories from the past.
The next time you visit a museum or take a walk on the beach, remember to look closely at the world around you. You might just uncover a hidden treasure that connects you to the incredible history of our planet!
Next time you visit a museum, pay close attention to the floor! See if you can spot any fossils in the tiles. Make a list of the different shapes and patterns you find. Try to identify what type of ancient sea creatures they might have been. Share your findings with your classmates and discuss what these fossils tell us about Earth’s history.
Using clay and small objects like shells or leaves, create your own “fossil” by pressing the objects into the clay to leave an impression. Let the clay harden, and then swap fossils with a friend. Try to guess what objects were used to create each other’s fossils, and discuss how real fossils are formed over millions of years.
Imagine you are a sea creature living 325 million years ago. Write a short story about your life in the ancient ocean. Describe your surroundings, the other creatures you encounter, and what it feels like to become a fossil. Share your story with the class and compare your ancient ocean adventures.
Plan a trip to a local beach or park where you can search for rocks and fossils. Bring a guidebook or use a smartphone app to help identify any fossils you find. Take pictures or make sketches of your discoveries. Discuss with your classmates how these fossils might have ended up in your area and what they reveal about the past.
Create an art project inspired by the fossils in the museum floor. Use materials like paper, paint, or digital tools to design your own fossil floor tile. Include different types of sea creatures and patterns. Display your artwork in the classroom and explain the significance of each fossil you included.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
Emily: People often ask me what my favorite thing to see at the Field Museum is, and I usually mention exhibits like the Evolving Planet or the Hall of Gems, where there’s an opalized vertebra of a Plesiosaur, or those classic insect cases. But honestly, my favorite thing is the floor. Did you know there are fossils in these tiles? The very foundation of our museum is made up of thousands of invertebrate fossils that lived in an ancient ocean 325 million years ago, which is now Carthage, Missouri. However, the Wikipedia page for Carthage doesn’t mention anything about its ancient past, only its county founding in 1841. Today, Carthage is better known for being home to the Precious Moments Park and Chapel, with no reference to its significance as an invertebrate hotspot during the Carboniferous period, which I find much more fascinating.
325 million years ago, that area was covered by an ocean, and the world looked very different. There were some of the earliest horseshoe crabs, amphibians that were twice my height, and various shark-like creatures. Before they became fossils, these invertebrates—colonies of bryozoans, brachiopods, and starfish-like creatures—lived and died, eventually turning into stone. They remained buried through the rise and fall of various species, including Dimetrodon, dinosaurs, saber-toothed cats, and mammoths, until about a hundred years ago when they were extracted from a quarry, cut, polished, transported across state lines, and installed in the floors and stairs of this building.
Although this space changes and transforms, these fossils will remain in the same place in the floor for as long as this building stands. More than a million people walk across them every year. My grandparents stood on them when they first visited nearly 20 years ago, and I stood on them during my first visit here. These fossils are silent witnesses to every visitor, scientist, and exhibition over the past century. Most people who visit never notice the fossils in the floor, which is understandable given all the other things to see and conversations to have. I don’t think their visit is any less meaningful because of it.
However, I believe it’s a profound detail that can help us appreciate that we all share this planet together—us, the mammoths, saber-toothed cats, dinosaurs, and even the ancient colonies of bryozoans, brachiopods, and starfish-like creatures. What I love about museums is that the desire to discover these smaller details that connect us across space and time is something we all experience when we visit. We are all on a constant search for our own version of the fossils in the floor.
For example, last year, the most viewed blog posts on the Field’s website came from the collections manager of fossil invertebrates, titled “The Beachgoer’s Guide to Lake Michigan Fossils and Rocks.” This post piqued a lot of people’s curiosity. I love the idea that you can visit a place like the Field Museum to see the stationary fossils in our limestone, and then walk outside toward the Adler Planetarium. If you go down the steps from the taco stand on the shore of Lake Michigan, you can find your own ancient world in the loose beach rocks. Reach down and pick up a handful, and you might come face to face with a fossil coral that has been on a hundred million-year journey to end up in your hands. It could be the first time that rock has been appreciated for what it truly is.
Fossils – The preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the past, often found in sedimentary rocks. – Scientists study fossils to learn about the plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.
Ocean – A large body of saltwater that covers most of the Earth’s surface and is home to many marine species. – The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean on Earth.
Creatures – Living beings, especially animals, that inhabit different environments on Earth. – The ocean is full of fascinating creatures like dolphins, sharks, and jellyfish.
Limestone – A type of sedimentary rock primarily composed of calcium carbonate, often formed from marine organisms. – Limestone is commonly used in building materials and can also contain fossils.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs, but also including the Earth’s geological past. – By examining rock layers, geologists can uncover the history of Earth’s changes over millions of years.
Museum – A place where objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest are stored and exhibited. – The natural history museum has a great collection of dinosaur fossils.
Ancient – Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence. – Ancient civilizations often settled near rivers and oceans for resources and trade.
Explore – To travel through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it. – Scientists explore the rainforest to discover new species of plants and animals.
Coral – Marine invertebrates that build large structures called reefs, which provide habitats for many ocean species. – Coral reefs are often referred to as the “rainforests of the sea” because of their biodiversity.
Rocks – Solid mineral material forming part of the surface of the Earth and other similar planets. – Geologists study different types of rocks to understand Earth’s structure and history.
