When dinosaurs walked the Earth during the Mesozoic era about 70 million years ago, the shallow seas of the Cretaceous reached north along the Mississippi drainage basin. This inland ocean absorbed rivers from the eroding range of the Appalachian and Smoky mountains, which had once stood mightier than the Rockies.

Some of these sediments are exposed near Adamsville, Tennessee, where fossils from Coon Creek include bones from a dinosaur a carnivorous oceanic reptile that grew up to 45 feet long, and many unique shelly fossils that include the official Fossil of Tennessee: Pterotrigonia thoracica.

This unique location exposes a Cretaceous era shallow ocean environment from about 70 million years ago, when dinosaurs still stalked the Earth. Fossils from Coon Creek have included bones from plesiosaurs and a mosasaur -- a carnivorous oceanic reptile that grew up to 45 feet long. Shells are preserved in almost original condition by oily clay called glauconite.

The land is owned by Pink Palace Museum of Memphis, and currently leased to University of Tennessee at Martin. If you want to join a supervised tour, call UT-Martin Selmer Center at (731) 646-163, or click this link.

Tennessee ocean shore line 85 million years ago