Ocean in Indiana? Sharks in South Bend? Yes...in a sense. Believe it or not, ancient oceans once surged in our state.
The Earth’s crust is made up of huge, slow-moving plates that creep across the planet’s surface. Over time, lands shift and oceans rise and fall. Tropical seas repeatedly flooded Indiana throughout the Earth’s history. About 100 million years ago, the plate carrying North America—particularly, Indiana—reached its current position.
Many of the ancient lifeforms that once inhabited the area have since vanished, but Indiana’s rocks hold their story.
In this gallery, exhibits packed with the museum’s diverse fossil collections help visitors explore the ancient life that shaped the state. Visitors can also explore fossil records and see depictions of real animals throughout the gallery.
This chapter of Indiana’s Story ends with the “Missing Record,” 300 million years of rock record lost to erosion but punctuated by glimpses of life uncovered by the museum’s paleontology department.