The Badlands are beautiful. The name is a misnomer. It something like Bryce and Zion with a little of the Grand Canyon. The rock formations were created by volcanoes and the western sea that used to cover this area.
The Daily Horse
I left at 5:00 am knowing it would be a long day and it was misty. This is a picture of a goat within the Badlands National Park in the morning mist.
Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park
Nancy taking a picture
What?
Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park
Beware
Me, with helmet hair
Badlands National Park
Jon
Marlene on her bike Friday
Dot
I’m becoming proficient at taking pictures while riding
6 comments:
The site’s name, the Pig Dig, comes from that first exposed fossil, originally thought to
be the remains of an ancient pig-like mammal called Archaeotherium. It was later
identified as a Subhyracodon, a hornless rhinoceros, but the name “Big Pig Dig” stuck.
Rhinoceroses are found today in Africa and Asia but smaller versions once lived in the
Badlands. Archaeotherium has been found at the site, as well as multiple specimens of
ancient horses and deer-like creatures. The horses found are three toed and about the
size of a small dog. The tiny Leptomeryx resembles a deer standing only a foot high.
More than 10,000 bones have been excavated from the site for research purposes.
Why so many animals in one small place? Scientists believe that the area was once a
spring-fed watering hole, similar to the large watering areas used by African game
today. As the climate began to change to semi-arid, the creatures had to travel longer
and longer distances to find water. Some perished as they fought to survive after being
mired in the soft sediments. Opportunistic animals were drawn to feed on the dead
carcasses. Archaeotherium was a scavenger, feeding on both plants and flesh. These
large creatures trampled the site, deeply imbedding some bones and breaking up
skeletons. Taphonomy is the study of how fossils are formed and preserved.
Taphonomists working at the Pig Dig study the position and condition of bones at the
site. These scientists attempt to interpret the activities of animals and try to puzzle out
the conditions under which death occurred.
Once again the white striped horse is there...you're making this so easy to debunk your "bike ride across the US"...It's so obvious in the Conspiracy Theory Community what is happening here...maybe you should pick up some fossils while you're "there" as proof....on second thought you could probably get them on "Fossils R Us" or "We B Fossils"..we will get to bottom of this...we have friends in the military who will use their satellites if necessary...so I'd fess up before the jig is up....great pix btw.....as ever...I am ACT
re-the last sentence on pig dig "These scientists attempt to interpret the activities of animals..."... so far they determined that one of the activities was "Arts and Crafts" and that it went from 10AM to noon, followed by lunch.
Solomon: I love the pictures. Hope you are having a great time. We miss you!
Mike S. (FMCo)
Hi Solomon and all the group! I am Jim Conboy's wife and I just wanted you to know that I am enjoying your
pics and witty comments. I especially love the horses, but Jim can explain why. Looking forward to meeting all of you when you pedal through Michigan. Sue Conboy
Thanks for your comments, Sue. We'll see you in Michigan, and I'll post some picture of Jim with whom we can hardly keep up, ever since he put on the new slick tires.
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