From 1988 to 2013, he and several cohorts of students surveyed much of the park’s rugged terrain. Jeffrey Eaton, Professor Emeritus of Geosciences at Weber State University, forms the richest period of rigorous paleontological study here. However, paleontological research in the park increased over a span of three decades thanks to the dedication of scientists. However, the park does have a known paleontological record and has the potential to produce abundant fossils as a result of scientific studies in the future.ġ988-2013: A History of Paleontology at Bryceįor most of BRCA’s history, paleontology has remained obscure from the public eye, and just consisted of a small handful of fossils collected by visitors occasionally over many decades. Despite this proximity, shared geology, and being in the National Parks system for a century, BRCA has never been known as a fossil-bearing park. BRCA sits just west of GSENM and shares much of its geology. GSENM has most famously been the source of abundant and diverse Cretaceous dinosaurs including many new taxa. An excellent example of this is contained in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM), which boasts many fossils ranging from deep marine ammonites to petrified logs. In fact, much of southern Utah, where Bryce Canyon (BRCA) is situated, possesses fantastic geology that preserves a nearly uninterrupted record of environmental changes spanning the Late Cretaceous Epoch (100-66 million years ago) and continuing into the early Cenozoic (66-34 million years ago). However, few fully grasp the total extent of the park’s geological marvels. Happy 100th birthday to Bryce Canyon National Park! In the century since its inception as Bryce Canyon National Monument, over 61 million people have travelled from all over to marvel at its spectacular pink vistas of Eocene-aged hoodoos and pristine wilderness. Paunsaugunt Plateau edge as seen from Under the Rim Trail.
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