Fossils found within the badland hills, often washed into the area during flood events, range from 150 foot petrified tree trunks and large animal bones to tiny pollen grains and spores. Each fossil is an important clue when trying to understand the past.
An average of 2-4 new species of vertebrates and plants are found each year in the park. In 2005 a discovery of fossils of Revueltosaurus callenderi challenged the theories of how and where the dinosaurs arose more than 210 million years ago at the end of the Triassic Period.
The science of paleontology is dynamic. Ideas and even theories can change as new discoveries are made.
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