The pyramid-shaped, wooded mountain of '''Monte San Giorgio''' beside [[Lake Lugano ]] is regarded as the best [[fossil]] record of marine life from the [[Triassic]] geologic rock layer. The sequence records life in a tropical lagoon environment, sheltered and partially separated from the open sea by an offshore reef. Diverse marine life flourished within this lagoon, including [[reptiles]], [[fish]], [[bivalve]]s, [[ammonite]]s, [[echinoderms]] and [[crustacean]]s. Because the lagoon was near land, the remains also include land-based fossils of reptiles, [[insect]]s and [[plant]]s, resulting in an extremely rich source of fossils.<ref>http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1090</ref>
== See also ==