Ashfall

[James Mahaffy <mahaffy@dordt.edu>]

Folks,

        In a recent post AshFall was mentioned.


Bruce MacFadden (in "Fossil Horses") says of 
Ash FFall: "[This] is 
probably the only pre-Pleistocene terrestrial-mammal-bearing locality 
currently known in North America that can truly be called a 
'Lagerstatten' (a locality featuring both extraordinary preservation 
and abundance).

The park is seasonal.  For accurate information, contact:


Ash FFall Fossil Beds State Historical Park
PO Box 66
Royal, NE  68773
(402) 893-2000


        Let me just say Amen to the description of this park.  It is in our
area (hour and a half west of Sioux City, Iowa).  They placed a barn
over one of the sites and uncovered an left the complete skeletons in
place.  By the way there is evidence that they did NOT die immediately
but several weeks or days after the ash Fall. 

        This site is well worth stopping at.  As was mentioned above it
seasonally open and is closed right now. 



-- 
James F. Mahaffy                   e-mail: mahaffy@dordt.edu
Biology Department                 phone: 712 722-6279
Dordt College                      FAX 712 722-1198
Sioux Center, Iowa 51250