Newfoundland's Mistaken Point named UNESCO World Heritage site
Fossils of Earths oldest multi-cellular life forms found on ancient seafloor
A Newfoundland ecological reserve that holds ancient evidence of some of Earth's oldest creatures is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
UNESCO — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which designates sites of physical and cultural significance — made the announcement in Istanbul Sunday.
Mistaken Point geologist Richard Thomas said the UNESCO designation is the most prestigious recognition a fossil site can get and it will have an important effect on the reserve.
"There's going to be a big influx of visitors," said Thomas. "We're expecting visitation to increase greatly."
Thomas said it's too soon to know just how many more visitors will be coming to the reserve, but he pointed to Nova Scotia's Joggins Fossil Cliffs, a site which was similarly designated in 2008, as an example of what to expect.
"As soon as they were inscribed, their visitation went up 150 per cent and stayed at that level."
There will also be much more worldwide scrutiny of Mistaken Point, he added.
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