Devonian and Pleistocene Fossils at the Allegany Museum

The Devonian Era marked the beginning of life on land, but the Cumberland region sat under water. It was probably part of a coral reef!

Devonian fossil deposits lie just a few miles from the museum, along the bike and train route linking Cumberland with Frostburg. These small sponges, corals, trilobites, clam-like brachiopods, and snail-like gastropods are 419 to 358 million years old.

The area has one the richest Pleistocene Era fossil deposits in the Eastern United States . The Pleistocene Era lasted from about 2.5 million years ago until 11,000 years ago. During that time, animals including the sabre-tooth cat, cave bear, and mastadon roamed eastern North America. Allegany Museum houses fossils of  cave bear (Ursus Americanus), peccary (Platygonus Vetus), porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), wolf (Canis armbrusteri), and hare (Lepas Americanus)

Allegany Museum is a privately funded 501 (c) (3) non-profit