Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument is a protected area by the type of National Monuments in the south of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is located in the Snake River Plain on the banks of the Snake River and preserves a fossil deposit from the epoch of the Pliocene, about 3.5 million years ago. The most important fossil of the area is the Hagerman Horse ( shoshonensis Plesippus, originally Equus simplicidens ).
The reserve was established in 1988 and is managed by the National Park Service.
Description
In the 19th century led the Oregon Trail, on the early settlers across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Northwest reached, along the Snake River and through the territory of today's National Monuments. In the up to 200 m high river terrace of the Snake River the fossils are embedded.
The first excavations in the area took place in 1929 and were conducted by the Smithsonian Institution. A local rancher had made scientists aware of finds on his land. The excavations rendered findings of 140 fossil species, including 44 first discoveries and eight species have been found only in Hagerman Fossil Beds.
The sanctuary was built in 1988 on the west bank of the river, which is the cut bank in this section, which is why the best finds were made here. In 1997 a rescue excavation funded by sponsors were made more evidence on the face of the region 3.5 million years ago was threatened by landslides in the frame. The horses did not die to its present localities, but were transported by the slow flow of a broad, shallow river and deposited in the Fund today's situation.
The visitor center with an exhibition on the history of the area and the fossil record is on the other river bank in place Hagerman. It also contains a small presentation about the history of the internment of Japanese -born Americans in World War II because Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument also around 60 km away Minidoka National Historic Site co-supervised, as long as they memorial does not yet have its own facilities.