Animal Life Appeared About 630 Million Years Ago

Signs of life are abundant at Grand Canyon, both present and past!

NPS photo by Joel Kane

Quick Facts

Location:

South Rim - Trail of Time

Amenities

4 listed

Audio Description, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Wheelchair Accessible

The record of life and the stories of the diverse creatures that once lived here are captured in the rocks that make up the walls and cliffs of Grand Canyon today in the form of fossils, tracks, and various clues deciphered by paleontologists.

This interpretive exhibit along the Trail of Time discusses a relatively sudden "explosion" in the number of animal species on Earth about 630 million years ago.