“An experience like no other on pei.”
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prehistoric island tours
Prehistoric Island Tours brings the ancient past to life through 1.5- and 2.5-hour experiential guided tours at one of PEI’s most significant fossil sites. Get hands-on with PEI fossils and learn about the unique geological history recorded in our famous red cliffs!
The rusty bedrock that makes our Island so unique records a little-known story of life and land on PEI during one of the most unique periods in Earth history: the Permian Period. Fossil evidence shows that our Island was once home to ancient beasts like Dimetrodon, Ophiacodon, and Diadectes, large alligator-sized creatures that are unlike any animals alive today.
Prehistoric Island Tours’ goal is to provide a venue for both residents and visitors of Prince Edward Island to learn about the fascinating geoheritage of our province. Considered the only setting on PEI where you can learn about our ancient history, we strive to provide a fully-immersive experience where participants can get hands-on with the fossils and rock layers that help scientists piece together the 300 million-year-old prehistoric ecosystems of PEI.
laura macneil
Prehistoric Island Tours is solely-run by Laura MacNeil, an Island-born geologist with a professional background in Earth science education. Laura has a B.Sc. in geological sciences from Queen’s University and an M.Sc. in geology from Acadia University. While completing her degrees Laura gained summer employment as a science interpreter at Joggins Fossil Cliffs UNESCO Heritage Site in Joggins, Nova Scotia and the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta. Upon graduating Laura was offered a full-time position as a science educator at the Royal Tyrrell Museum where she worked for two and a half years educating and developing programs for students and visitors on the geological history of Alberta.
In 2018 Laura wanted to share her passion for Earth science with her home province and moved back to PEI. She knew there had to be a way to share with visitors and Islanders the captivating story of our geological heritage in absence of a natural history museum.
In August 2020 Laura launched Prehistoric Island Tours, a new hands-on experience that allows participants to get up-close and personal with PEI’s 300 million-year-old history.
dimetrodon trackway discovery
In June of 2018, Laura was prospecting for fossils along the Island’s north shore when she stumbled upon a set of footprints that appeared to have been made by a large, four-legged creature. Whatever creature left this footprint had five toes and looked to be the size of an alligator. She contacted PEI’s Museum and Heritage Foundation and paleontological advisor Dr. John Calder, who verified they were left behind by Dimetrodon borealis, an apex predator that roamed PEI’s landscape 290 million years ago.
Inverted mudcracks seen preserved on the rock layer surface with the Dimetrodon trackway hints to the ancient environment this creature was walking through. Preliminary findings show this Dimetrodon was stepping through a drying watering hole filled with clay, leaving behind footprint depressions in the sediment as it walked.
For more on this discovery you can visit the links below: