Monte San Giorgio

Overview

The pyramid-shaped, wooded mountain of Monte San Giorgio beside Lake Lugano is regarded as the best fossil record of marine life from the Triassic Period (245–230 million years ago). The sequence records life in a tropical lagoon environment, sheltered and partially separated from the open sea by an offshore reef. Diverse marine life flourished within this lagoon, including reptiles, fish, bivalves, ammonites, echinoderms and crustaceans. Because the lagoon was near land, the remains also include land-based fossils of reptiles, insects and plants, resulting in an extremely rich source of fossils.

Selection Criteria

(viii)

Components(1 location)

• •Monte San Giorgio1090bis

Details

Countries

Italy, Switzerland

ISO Codes

IT, CH

Area

1,089.34 ha

Transboundary

Yes

Coordinates

45.8889, 8.9139