Kreta Umweltforum: Fossilien / Fundstellen

While Crete is unimpressive for mineral collectors, it is a paradise for fossil collectors. Fossil finds out from Palaeogene (65.5-23,03 million years before today) are relatively low but very frequently from Neogene (23,03 million years ago). Mollusc (mussels, snails) and other marine life (like sea urchins, fish etc.) can be found at many hits of the island. They are described in detail in our leaflets (with directions to the place of find, profile etc.), complemented with photos of fossil content. Also mammal findings from the Quaternary (1.8 million years ago) are not rare at Crete.

At some Mediterranean islands, dwarf forms of hippos are examples of the “island dwarfism” developed in the Pleistocene, for example the Cretan Hippo (Hippopotamus creutzbergi), the Cyprian (H. minutus), the Maltese Island (H. melitensis) and the Sicilian dwarf hippo (H. pentlandi). Fossil evidence of the Cretan dwarf hippo have been found by NLUK Member (H.Eikamp) on the 22nd of July 2008. Picture above is showing the cranium of H. creutzburgi in situ. Photo: Maria Eleftheria

The illustration above shows a fossil (petrified) fish (Spratteloides gracilis), a sprat from the Pliocene (kieselguhr) site Prassas/North Crete

Fossils / Place of finding

Leaflets