When you think about the extinct creatures that once dominated Earth , you probably imagine towering dinosaurs or trumpeting wooly mammoths. However, during a time in history that would have been prehistoric even to the dinosaurs, the Earth was ruled by upcoming forests, slippery invertebrates, and strange, newly evolved reptiles. This was the Carboniferous period, a time when the world looked very different from what it does today.

In order for scientists to understand this incredible time in Earth's history, they turn to a location that might be surprising to some: a series of fossil beds outside Chicago, Illinois . These fossil beds, called Mazon Creek , actually have some of the best-preserved fossils in the world.

What Are The Mazon Creek Fossil Beds?

One of the best places

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