undifferentiated rock units

Paleontology and geology

During the Permian, Nova Scotia was located in the interior of the supercontinent Pangea and experienced a hot, dry climate with seasonal monsoons. Erosion was extensive during this period as the Alleghenian Orogeny continued to uplift this area. Permian age rocks are largely absent in Nova Scotia and do not appear on this map. The few small exposures are included with other Paleozoic rocks and appear when you click the "SHOW" undifferentiated rock units button.

One of the few Permian exposures can be seen on the shore of the Northumberland Strait in the northwest. The red sandstones in this area preserve a fossilized forest, with many standing trunks and fallen logs of an earlier conifer called Walchia. Trackways of amphibians, reptiles and mammal-like reptiles wind their way among the trees.