The Ashfall Story

U of Nebraska State Museum & Nebraska Game and Parks Commission ^ | 2010 | Dr. Mike Voorhies

[SunkenCiv]

About 12 million years ago, a volcano in southwest Idaho spread a blanket of ash over a very large area. One or two feet of this powdered glass covered the flat savannah-like grasslands of northeastern Nebraska.

Most of the animals which lived here survived the actual ashfall, but as they continued to graze on the ash covered grasses, their lungs began to fill up with the abrasive powder. Soon their lungs became severely damaged and they began to die.

The smaller animals died first (smaller lung capacities) and finally, after perhaps three to five weeks, the last of the rhinos perished.Their bodies were quickly covered by the blowing and drifting ash.

Undisturbed except by an occasional scavenging meat-eater, the skeletons of these animals are preserved in their death positions, complete with evidence of their last meals in their mouths and stomachs and their last steps preserved in the sandstone below.

Ashfall wildlife and the impending cloud of volcanic ash. The Ashfall skeletons are found in an ancient waterhole as depicted here. Fossil evidence at the site reveals complete, articulated skeletons of large mammals, birds, and turtles, as well as seeds of grasses and trees.

[SunkenCiv]

Neohipparion affine, Slender 3-toed horse

Dr. Mike Voorhies: Although not evidence of ancient hostility, there is another example of intertwined fossil skeletons you might be interested in. It's on display at Ashfall Fossil Beds State Park here in Nebraska, where I am writing this. A female three-toed horse (Neohipparion affine) has the skeleton of a colt of the same species (almost certainly her own offspring) sheltered between her legs. These two skeletons are part of a mass-death assemblage of 12 million-year-old animals killed and buried by volcanic ash.

[SunkenCiv]

Another death assemblage:

Whole communities of ape-like creatures may have been killed in volcanic disasters that struck East Africa 18 million years ago... the once active volcano Kisingiri... contained fossils of what is believed to be a forerunner of humans called Proconsul... they may have been caught by a pyroclastic flow... the abundance of the hominoid fossils may represent "death assemblages" -- whole populations wiped out simultaneously by "glowing cloud" eruptions.

· join · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post new topic · subscribe ·

[SunkenCiv]

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·
	Gods Graves Glyphs	I've gotta get to my household drudgery, so someone else will have to track down Dr. Jack Horner's dino-prairie up in (I think) Montana. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
·Dogpile · Archaeologica · LiveScience · Archaeology · Biblical Archaeology Society · · Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google · · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·

[null and void]

ASH ALERT!

[OwenKellogg]

 * * * ASH ALERT* * *

null and void aka The "Newashman" aka ASH aka ReduxAsh aka at least five other screen names is a hoaxer who has been banned from posting to this forum. Not once, but many times. He will be banned again soon.

HE WILL, WHEN CHALLENGED, PRETEND INNOCENCE. His use of multiple aliases is, itself a hoax. He is an electronic crasher who is here AGAINST THE EXPRESS WISHES OF THE OWNER OF THIS FORUM.

Attempting to engage him in debate plays into his hands. He is here to create dissent and to disrupt the Free Republic. That is his pattern and the reason his posting privileges have been banned.

Please DO NOT respond in any way to him.

[JoeProBono]

Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park

[MikefromOhio]

Ash Alert?

[null and void]

Ummmm, nope, not me, uh, never, wasn’t there, you can’t prove it, nobody saw me....

[null and void]

Troll from before your time. Heck, I barely remember him.

[Monkey Face]

Nully!! Say it isn’t SO!!
I was with you at the time! Remember? You graced me with chocolate, strawberries and champagne and we had such a wonderful night! How could anyone accuse you of being less than stalwart, honorable and handsome??? Not to mention trustworthy, clean, loyal, brave, thrifty and reverent?

[SunkenCiv]

LOL!

[frankenMonkey]

[null and void]

I was taking a shower, and I have witnesses...

[null and void]

Not only do I remember I still have the pictures...

[Grut]

One of the plusses of being married to an African-American is that I save a fortune on chocolate.

[American Constitutionalist]

" Most of the animals which lived here survived the actual ashfall, but as they continued to graze on the ash covered grasses, their lungs began to fill up with the abrasive powder. Soon their lungs became severely damaged and they began to die. "

Sort of like fiber glass or glass powder....

I guess the next big volcano will give the liberals a reason to ban smoking everywhere.

[Monkey Face]

That was a GOOD night, Nully...nothing was void...and that was my best side...you ROCK!

[Monkey Face]

And one of those witnesses was....*drum roll, please!* ME!!!

[null and void]

Awwwwwwwwww I'm *blushing*

[Monkey Face]

Civvy...life is good, yes? And chocolate RULES! (It doesn’t hurt to have strawberries and champagne as a backup.)