Eastern Region

Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark - Haootia, Port Union

Explore the site where scientists uncovered Haootia quadriformis, one of the world’s oldest animal fossils, along the Murphy’s Cove to Lodge’s Pond Trail in Port Union. Over 560 million years old, this discovery provided the earliest evidence of muscle tissue, reshaping our understanding of early animal life. Named from the Beothuk word for “demon,” its discovery continues to shape scientific understanding.