Re: Fossils Sites in the USA

[gbrown@unlinfo.unl.edu (gregory brown)]

> 
> Travel: Prehistoric Trails
> By The Associated Press
> 
> The oldest wild west creatures were dinosaurs and other ancient animals, and
> visitors to Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, and Nebraska can study their 
> fossils
> at a number of sites:
> 
>    (lots of sites deleted)
> 
> - Remains of exotic animals - three-toed horses, dog-sized camels, 
> saber-toothed
> tigers, giant pigs, rhinoceros-like titanotheres - can be seen at Ashfall 
> Fossil Beds State Historic Park between Royal and Orchard, Neb.
> 

Information about this site is not accurate.  For those 
interested...Ashfall Fossil Beds is a Mid/Late Miocene site 
(Clarendonian ~10 mya).  The Rhino _Teleoceras_ is the dominant 
species, and occurs with 6 species of horse, 3 of camel, a few small 
"deer", crowned cranes, etc.  NO titanotheres.  NO giant pigs.  NO 
cats (yet).

The animals are perfectly preserved in their death-positions in 
volcanic ash and have been left in place for visitors to see.

Bruce MacFadden (in "Fossil Horses") says of Ashfall: "[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:

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