Tako Koning, Consulting Geologist - “Joggins, Nova Scotia” Abstract & Bio

Abstract

The Joggins Fossils Cliffs has been described in the literature as a “Coal Age Galapogos” (Calder, 2017). The world-famous fossils-rich cliffs at Joggins have been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their outstanding geological story of the “Coal Age”. Approximately 320 million years ago, the continents were assembled into one huge land mass, the supercontinent Pangea and tropic rainforests covered the region. From fossilized trees that stood 30 meters high to the remains of the earliest known reptile, Hylonomus lyelli, Joggins Fossil Cliffs hold essential information about the development of life on earth during the Carboniferous. The fossil cliffs reveal the world’s most complete record of terrestrial life during the Carboniferous. The cliffs are still actively evolving – the powerful tides from the Bay of Fundy continue to erode the rock face so that new fossils come to light every year (Calder, 2017, Joggins Fossils Cliffs Field Guide, 2024).

Bio

Tako Koning is Holland-born and Alberta-raised. He graduated from the University of Alberta in 1971 with a B.Sc. in Geology and with a B.A. in Economics in 1981 from the University of Calgary. He has worked as a petroleum geologist, exploration manager, vice president exploration for approximately fifty years including thirty years living and working in Indonesia, Nigeria and Angola. From age ten, he was already fascinated with paleontology and that fascination has continued to the present day. This presentation is based on a one-day visit in 2024 made by Tako to Joggins Fossils Cliffs and includes an extensive review of all available relevant literature.