UNESCO Heritage Status Could Shine a Global Spotlight on Danish Fossil Cliffs
NYKØBING MORS, Denmark — Two coastal cliffs in Denmark where paleontologists have uncovered 55-million-year-old fossils of prehistoric wildlife are likely to gain UNESCO World Heritage status as the committee meets in South Korea.
The cliffs, Hanklit and Knudeklint on the fjord islands of Mors and Fur, are known for what UNESCO describes as “exceedingly well-preserved” fossils of early insects, birdlife, and more than 80 different fish species, including ancient relatives of mackerel and herring.
“It’s very unique,” said Jan Audun Rasmussen, a researcher and curator from Museum Mors, who co-authored the UNESCO bid. “What we can show in these deposits is the first evolution of many of the fish lineages and bird lineages.”
Fifty-five million years ago, all of Denmark was covered by water. The low-oxygen clay seafloor provided a perfect time capsule for fish, birds, and turtles that died and sank to the seabed, preserving them in excellent condition.
The rock layers also capture a dramatic global warming event 56 million years ago, when a massive release of greenhouse gases sent temperatures soaring by 5 to 8 degrees Celsius. Laura Jane Cotton of Denmark’s Natural History Museum said the fossils provide researchers with an environmental “snapshot” that is the “best analogue for modern warming.”
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has recommended the sites be included on the World Heritage list. If successful, the cliffs would become Denmark’s fifth natural UNESCO site.
Local officials hope the recognition will boost tourism, particularly on the small island of Fur, home to just 700 residents. “Hopefully it will have a very positive effect on the local economy,” said Thomas Olesen, project leader for Skive municipality.
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