How to Find and Report Fossils in the Badlands

TL;DR

Leave any fossil exactly where you find it in Badlands National Park, record its location, take photographs, and report it at the visitor center. Rapid erosion continually exposes ancient remains, allowing visitors to make discoveries, while park paleontologists identify, excavate, and preserve scientifically valuable finds such as the reported 33-million-year-old Archaeotherium skull.

Transcript

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Key Insights

• Sedimentary rock is the most common rock type associated with dinosaur fossil discoveries because accumulating sediment can rapidly bury bones, protect them from scavengers and decay, and slowly compress the remains into a preserved rock formation.
• Badlands National Park is rich in fossils that are millions of years old, and its landscape once supported many animals during periods when the region was much more lush than it appears in the report.
• Rapid erosion exposes fossils in the Badlands over time, with the formations eroding about one inch per year. This continuing process gives visitors opportunities to notice remains emerging from mounds and rocks.
• The park's fossil policy is to leave every discovery exactly where it is found. Visitors should note the location, take photographs, and report the find instead of moving or collecting the fossil.
• The discovered fossil was the top of a large, nearly flat skull with a sizable opening underneath. Its position in the upper formation layer helped visitor-center staff consider what kind of animal it represented.
• Archaeotherium means ancient beast, based on the name elements described by the paleontologists. The animal was characterized as a giant killer pig equipped with large teeth and a powerful jaw.
• The Archaeotherium skull may have been about 33 million years old, and park staff described it as one of the largest killer pig specimens they had seen there before leaving to excavate it.
• Paleontologists at the visitor center preserve reported fossils for research using small tools described as micro-jackhammers. Visitor documentation helps staff identify promising discoveries and locate specimens that require professional excavation.

Questions & Answers

Q: How do you report a fossil found in the Badlands?

Leave the fossil exactly where you discovered it, because Badlands National Park policy requires finds to remain in place. Record the location carefully, take several photographs, and bring that information to the visitor center. Paleontologists can examine the documentation, identify the likely animal, and travel to the site to excavate scientifically valuable remains for preservation and research.

Q: Why are so many fossils found in Badlands National Park?

Badlands National Park contains many fossils because the region once had a lush landscape that supported large numbers of animals. Its formations also erode by about one inch each year, gradually exposing remains that were previously embedded in the ground. As fresh material becomes visible, visitors exploring the mounds and rocks may encounter fossils that are millions of years old.

Q: What should you do when you see exposed fossil bones?

Visitors who see exposed bones should resist the urge to pick them up or change their position. The fossil must be left exactly where it was found so its location and surrounding formation remain intact. The proper response is to note the site, photograph the remains, and report the evidence to paleontologists at the park's visitor center for identification and possible excavation.

Q: What fossil was discovered during the Badlands hike?

The hikers discovered the top of a large skull that appeared nearly flat and had a sizable opening underneath. At the visitor center, paleontologists identified it as Archaeotherium, whose name was explained as meaning ancient beast. The animal was described as a giant killer pig with large teeth and a powerful jaw, and the fossil might have been 33 million years old.

Q: How old was the Archaeotherium fossil found in the Badlands?

The paleontologists said the Archaeotherium fossil might have been approximately 33 million years old. Park staff also described the skull as one of the largest killer pig finds they had seen at the park. After reviewing the photographs and information about its location in the upper formation layer, the paleontologists left to begin professionally excavating the specimen.

Q: Why are fossils commonly preserved in sedimentary rock?

Sedimentary environments provide favorable conditions for fossilization because sediment can accumulate around animal remains. Dinosaur bones that were rapidly buried became protected from scavengers and decay. Over time, the buried material was slowly compressed into a rock formation. This process helps explain why sedimentary rock is the most common type in which dinosaur fossils have been discovered.

Q: How do paleontologists preserve fossils reported by visitors?

Paleontologists at the Badlands visitor center evaluate photographs, location details, and information about the formation layer where a fossil appeared. The fossil lab uses small tools described as micro-jackhammers to preserve visitor discoveries for research. When a reported specimen is especially significant, staff can travel to its documented location and conduct a professional excavation without losing its original context.

Q: Can ordinary visitors discover fossils in the Badlands?

Ordinary visitors can make fossil discoveries because Badlands National Park contains many ancient remains and allows people to explore its mounds and rocks. Rapid erosion exposes new material slowly over time, so hikers never know exactly what they might encounter. Any discovery must remain in place, with its location and appearance documented for the visitor center's paleontologists.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Badlands National Park contains abundant fossils because the area once supported many animals and its formations continue to erode. Visitors may explore the mounds and rocks, where newly exposed remains can sometimes be spotted. Sedimentary rock preserves fossils when bones are rapidly buried, protected from decay, and gradually compressed into rock formations.

• During a guided hike, Laura Coates and her companions noticed bones and discovered the top of a large, nearly flat skull. They left the fossil in place, documented its location, photographed it, and reported it at the visitor center, following the park policy designed to protect discoveries and preserve their scientific context.

• Paleontologists identified the fossil as Archaeotherium, a name meaning ancient beast. The animal was described as a giant killer pig with large teeth and a powerful jaw. Staff said the specimen was among the largest they had seen in the park and estimated that it might be 33 million years old.