Traveling Through Nebraska's Natural Wonders: Exploring Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park
Located near the small town of Royal in Antelope County, Nebraska, Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park is a treasure trove of paleontological significance. The park is situated in the scenic Sandhills region of the state and preserves a unique site where numerous fossilized remains of ancient animals, including mammals, birds, and reptiles, can be found.
The park's story began in 1971 when paleontologists Mike Voorhies and James Martin discovered a lonesome skull of a small rhino-like creature, known as a Menoceras, sticking out of a hillside near Royal. The discovery marked the beginning of a substantial find of exceptionally well-preserved fossils that eventually became the core of the Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park. Today, the site protects over 360 fossil discoveries of mostly Miocene-era animals that date back approximately 12 million years.
The fossil bed is an example of a "Lagerstatte," which refers to an exceptionally rich occurrence of fossils. What sets the Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park apart is the quality of its fossils and the unique conditions under which they were preserved. Many fossils found at the site contain original bones with intact blood vessels, skin impressions, and full skeletons. These distinctive preservation characteristics, coupled with sheer quantities of the fossils discovered, have earned the Ashfall Fossil Beds a spot as one of the best fossil sites in the Great Plains region.
The park offers various attractions and interactive programs for visitors, including the Hubbard Rhino Barn, where a partially excavated site displays a Menoceras skeleton still embedded in its original limestone peat bed. Furthermore, guests can experience the fossil laboratory to see scientists carefully clean and categorize newly unearthed finds.
One of the most remarkable discoveries in the park is the remains of Parencyrtus, an ancient songbird. Found in 1984 by paleontologist Michael Voorhies, Parencyrtus is significant as it's one of only four known complete bird fossils discovered in North America from the Miocene epoch.
In terms of natural environment, the Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park preserves a majestic Great Plains landscape that exhibits numerous ecozones found in the region's ecosystem. Stretching for hundreds of miles in all directions are the open rolling hills, forests of coniferous trees, meadows filled with an assortment of wildflowers, and lakes. Wildlife within the park ranges from smaller invertebrates like butterflies to larger animals like deer and hawks.
Efforts to study, preserve, and showcase the fossil beds are ongoing. Current projects include collaborations between researchers from the University of Nebraska State Museum and professionals in fields like anthropology and natural resources to better understand the context of the fossil site within its archeological significance. Since the ash fall events responsible for creating this preservation occurred at different periods in the site's history, they have been utilized to calculate its chronological timeline.
As part of conservation and management, park staff monitors changes in the site's geological conditions, including soil stability and local groundwater. Groundwater often poses risks to the structures and the quality of fossilized materials within them, necessitating careful management of the regional water supply. Ground-penetrating radar is just one of the technologies used to detect the state of buried sections.
The park became one of six public museums within the University of Nebraska State Museum system in 2004. Its international collaborations include work with Spanish experts on the long-term preservation of fossilized remains.
The park's story began in 1971 when paleontologists Mike Voorhies and James Martin discovered a lonesome skull of a small rhino-like creature, known as a Menoceras, sticking out of a hillside near Royal. The discovery marked the beginning of a substantial find of exceptionally well-preserved fossils that eventually became the core of the Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park. Today, the site protects over 360 fossil discoveries of mostly Miocene-era animals that date back approximately 12 million years.
The fossil bed is an example of a "Lagerstatte," which refers to an exceptionally rich occurrence of fossils. What sets the Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park apart is the quality of its fossils and the unique conditions under which they were preserved. Many fossils found at the site contain original bones with intact blood vessels, skin impressions, and full skeletons. These distinctive preservation characteristics, coupled with sheer quantities of the fossils discovered, have earned the Ashfall Fossil Beds a spot as one of the best fossil sites in the Great Plains region.
The park offers various attractions and interactive programs for visitors, including the Hubbard Rhino Barn, where a partially excavated site displays a Menoceras skeleton still embedded in its original limestone peat bed. Furthermore, guests can experience the fossil laboratory to see scientists carefully clean and categorize newly unearthed finds.
One of the most remarkable discoveries in the park is the remains of Parencyrtus, an ancient songbird. Found in 1984 by paleontologist Michael Voorhies, Parencyrtus is significant as it's one of only four known complete bird fossils discovered in North America from the Miocene epoch.
In terms of natural environment, the Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park preserves a majestic Great Plains landscape that exhibits numerous ecozones found in the region's ecosystem. Stretching for hundreds of miles in all directions are the open rolling hills, forests of coniferous trees, meadows filled with an assortment of wildflowers, and lakes. Wildlife within the park ranges from smaller invertebrates like butterflies to larger animals like deer and hawks.
Efforts to study, preserve, and showcase the fossil beds are ongoing. Current projects include collaborations between researchers from the University of Nebraska State Museum and professionals in fields like anthropology and natural resources to better understand the context of the fossil site within its archeological significance. Since the ash fall events responsible for creating this preservation occurred at different periods in the site's history, they have been utilized to calculate its chronological timeline.
As part of conservation and management, park staff monitors changes in the site's geological conditions, including soil stability and local groundwater. Groundwater often poses risks to the structures and the quality of fossilized materials within them, necessitating careful management of the regional water supply. Ground-penetrating radar is just one of the technologies used to detect the state of buried sections.
The park became one of six public museums within the University of Nebraska State Museum system in 2004. Its international collaborations include work with Spanish experts on the long-term preservation of fossilized remains.
