All across the park system, scientists, rangers, and interpreters are engaged in the important work of studying, protecting, and sharing our rich fossil heritage. Park Paleontology news provides a close up look at the important work of caring for these irreplaceable resources.
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Dinosaur National Monument
Article 1: The Parking Lot Sauropod of Dinosaur National Monument: Part 1
Recent parking lot construction work in Dinosaur National Monument revealed previously undiscovered fossils near the Quarry Exhibit Hall, including part of a sauropod dinosaur. These fossils are part of the same assemblage as the famous quarry wall. Read more
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Article 2: A Paleontological Resource Inventory of National Park Service Coastal Parks
Paleontological resources are known from coastal settings in at least 45 National Park Service parks. Some highlights include Colonial National Historical Park, likely source of the first Western Hemisphere fossil to be scientifically illustrated; Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, where Late Cretaceous dinosaur tracks have been found near the coast; and Channel Islands National Park, once the home of pygmy mammoths. Read more
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Article 3: Designing Monitoring Strategies for National Park Service Fossils
The Paleontological Resources Preservation Act mandates monitoring non-renewable paleontological resources on federal lands. Since the 2000s, the National Park Service Paleontology Program has developed monitoring strategies for parks and resources. Read more
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Article 4: Paleontology of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park National Natural Landmark
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park National Natural Landmark in southern California is one of the most outstanding areas for late Cenozoic paleontology in North America. Thick sedimentary deposits capture most of the past 10 million years, when this area went from rift valley to deep marine deposition to a well-watered floodplain. More than five hundred fossil species of plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates have been found here. Read more
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Article 5: Stewardship of Paleontological Resources in the National Park Service: A Commitment to Stand the Test of Time
Paleontology in the Parks Fellowship participant Nathaniel Valentine describes his journey, from first visit to a National Park Service site to interest in NPS paleontology, working on an inventory of coastal NPS paleontological resources, and future career plans for paleontology and stewardship. Read more
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Article 6: Discovering the First Fossil Insects in Badlands National Park
The first reported insect body fossils from Badlands National Park are three-dimensional natural calcite casts of the abdomens of ground beetles. Read more