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Unearthing the Past: Fossils, Evolution, and Queensland’s Dynamic Earth
Year 8 & 10
Science
Facilitated by curators and research staff
2 hours
New in 2026: Expert Experiences! On selected dates throughout 2026 Queensland Museum Tropics research and collections professional will delivery highly engaging school programs for students in Years 8-10.
About the Program
Prepare to embark on a fascinating journey through time with Dr. Espen Knutsen, a leading palaeontologist and Senior Scientist and Curator of Palaeontology at Queensland Museum.
Dr. Knutsen will share his expertise and groundbreaking research into Queensland’s rich fossil history, exploring how these ancient treasures reveal the story of life on Earth and the dynamic processes that shaped our planet.
Queensland is home to some of the world’s most significant fossil sites, including the Eromanga Basin and the Riversleigh World Heritage Area. These sites not only preserve evidence of prehistoric creatures, such as marine reptiles, dinosaurs, and megafauna, but also provide clues about the environments they lived in and the geological forces that shaped their world. Dr. Knutsen will explain how fossils are formed, from the processes of sedimentation and rock formation to the role of plate tectonics in creating and exposing fossil-rich regions.
In addition, Dr. Knutsen will delve into the scientific evidence for evolution by natural selection, highlighting how fossils serve as a vital record of life’s gradual changes over millions of years. Students will explore how palaeontologists use fossils to trace evolutionary pathways, uncover transitional species, and understand how life adapted to shifting climates and landscapes. Students will also learn how plate tectonics and the movement of continents, such as the breakup of Gondwana, influenced the distribution and evolution of species across the globe.
Through this session, your students will gain a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of Earth’s geological history and the evolution of life. Whether it’s the formation of rocks, the movement of tectonic plates, or the fossil record itself, Dr. Knutsen will demonstrate how these elements come together to tell the remarkable story of Queensland’s ancient past.
This is your chance to learn from one of Queensland’s foremost experts and uncover the secrets of our planet’s history
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