Fossils!

A friend told us that if we were going to Nebraska we had to plan a stop at the Ashfall Fossil Beds. We are really glad he reached out to us!

The fossil beds were discovered in 1971 when the jaw bone of a prehistoric rhino was discovered by a Paleontologist studying the geology in this region. Upon excavation, more bones were found and the area became a hot bed of activity.

Long story short, when the Yellowstone volcano erupted 12 million years ago and sent ash into the air, these animals made their way to the watering hole while slowly suffocating. Bodies upon bodies ended up piling on each other and were also buried by this ash, hence preserving the skeletons fully intact.

What is also interesting is that the ash did not allow for enough minerals to get through to the bones and therefore the skeletons are very delicate fossilizes. They are extremely fragile and therefore are being exposed in-situ but not removed from the ground. A large structure name “The Rhino Barn” has been erected around the main fossil site.

They are constantly discovering new bones and probably won’t be done with their discoveries for another 10-20 years because of how slowly they need to move with the fragile bones.