Dimetro-Do's and Dimetro-Don'ts: Prehistoric PEI, with Laura MacNeil

What if we told you PEI was once home to prehistoric creatures older than dinosaurs? Join hosts Matthew McRae, Lesley Caseley, and special guest Laura MacNeil, owner of Prehistoric Island Tours, as they uncover the not-so-secret facts of Prince Edward Island’s prehistoric past and answer burning questions like: Why is the Island becoming a fossil hotspot? Are we related to dimetrodons, and did they use their sails to flirt with each other? And what the heck are Laura’s favourite fossils?

This episode is brought to you by The Architects Association of PEI, Confederation Center of the Arts, Provincial Credit Union, and The Grey Group.

Laura MacNeil is a geologist born and raised in Alexandra, P.E.I. and founder of Prehistoric Island Tours, our province's first venue that provides guided shoreline tours on our rich 290-million-year-old geological heritage. Her professional experience is in Earth science communication, having worked as an educator at World-renowned museums such as Joggins Fossil Cliffs UNESCO World Heritage Site in Joggins, N.S., and the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, AB. Laura completed her M.Sc. in geology at Acadia University, Nova Scotia, and B.Sc. in geology at Queen's University, Ontario.

In 2016 Laura discovered the first fossil evidence of Dimetrodon borealis trackways on P.E.I., a sail-backed apex predator that roamed our province's prehistoric landscapes 290 million years ago.