Six hundred and fifty million years ago, Saint John looked completely different. You will not find people, animals, or trees in the fossil record from that time. The landmass sat far south of the equator. Yet, life thrived here. We know this because a local customs worker named George Matthew proved it.

According to a recent CBC News report, Matthew deserves credit for recognizing Precambrian life long before the scientific community fully understood it.

A Passion for Science

Born in Saint John in 1837, Matthew spent his days working in the busy city customs office. Science remained his true passion. In 1857, at just 20 years old, he helped found the Steinhammer Club. This group of five young men dedicated their time to exploring local geology.

Historian James Upham notes the Saint John area sits on the cutting edge of geological research. The local fossil record contains incredible discoveries.

The Green Head Cove Discovery

In 1872, Matthew and L.W. Bailey visited Green Head Cove. You know this area today as Dominion Park. They stumbled upon strange concentric nodular masses in the rocks. They had discovered stromatolites. These fossils form when ancient tiny organisms like algae crush together over millions of years.

At the time, the men did not fully grasp the magnitude of their find. The field of paleontology was brand new. The word stromatolite did not even exist until 1908.

Matthew finally received confirmation in 1890. William Murdoch sent him a slab of marble from a Green Head Cove cliff containing clear stromatolite embeds. This allowed Matthew to confirm his earlier discovery of Precambrian life. He named the fossil formation Archaeozoon acadiense.

Protecting Local History

Matt Stimson acts as the curator of paleontology at the New Brunswick Museum. He confirms these 650 million year old specimens stand as the oldest fossil record in Atlantic Canada.

Visitors explore Green Head Cove by canoe to see the stromatolites in person. However, you must leave your tools at home. The Heritage Conservation Act protects these fossils. The cove is a designated heritage site, making it illegal to remove anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a stromatolite?
A stromatolite is a fossil formed by ancient tiny organisms like algae that compressed together over millions of years to create geometric shapes in rock.

Where did George Matthew find the oldest fossils in Atlantic Canada?
He discovered them at Green Head Cove, which is now part of Dominion Park in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Can I collect fossils at Dominion Park?
No. The Heritage Conservation Act strictly protects the area as a designated fossil and heritage site. You cannot remove rocks or fossils from the park.