On October 14 2011 74 large specimens were found, 49 tusks, 34 jaws, 23 skulls, 20 pelvises, 82 loose teeth, 125 logs and numerous samples of peat, wood, leaves, and rocks were found. According to The Huffington Post. That is a whole dumptruck full of bones but what does the bark suggest? I think that it will help to date the fossils and tell what it was like when the animals were alive. But could there be even more. According to Jolene Melnicoff there were 2 Columbian Mamoths, 3 Ice Age Bisons, 1 Jefferson Ground sloth (never found before in Colorado), 5 American Mastodons, 1 Small Salamander, and 1 Ice Age Dear.That’s alot of bones!!!
Sloth
Bison
What could have caused all these deaths? Some Scientists, like the ones at the Denver museum, think that there could have been a lake and that lake was surrounded by quicksand so when the animals came to drink they were trapped by the quicksand. This makes sense because the sand pit must have been massive and they all were attracted by the water and they didn't even think about it until it was too late. That is the main theory but there little direrientials in the theory.
Sand Pit Trap
On October 14 2011 74 large specimens were found, 49 tusks, 34 jaws, 23 skulls, 20 pelvises, 82 loose teeth, 125 logs and numerous samples of peat, wood, leaves, and rocks were found. According to The Huffington Post. That is a whole dumptruck full of bones but what does the bark suggest? I think that it will help to date the fossils and tell what it was like when the animals were alive. But could there be even more.
According to Jolene Melnicoff there were 2 Columbian Mamoths, 3 Ice Age Bisons, 1 Jefferson Ground sloth (never found before in Colorado), 5 American Mastodons, 1 Small Salamander, and 1 Ice Age Dear.That’s alot of bones!!!
What could have caused all these deaths? Some Scientists, like the ones at the Denver museum, think that there could have been a lake and that lake was surrounded by quicksand so when the animals came to drink they were trapped by the quicksand. This makes sense because the sand pit must have been massive and they all were attracted by the water and they didn't even think about it until it was too late. That is the main theory but there little direrientials in the theory.
Photo Attribution:
Image: '1,000,000 BC' http://www.flickr.com/photos/41864721@N00/2977737598
Image: 'Sloth in the Amazon' http://www.flickr.com/photos/97446046@N00/30950009
Image: 'Bison' http://www.flickr.com/photos/28110584@N04/3011730162
Image: 'Nature - Animal - Wildlife - White White-tailed Deer' http://www.flickr.com/photos/41304517@N00/6250538830