Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 12-492 [SIA2012-2783].
tioners used teams of horses to scrape the soil and haul it away. In a twist of irony, the modern-day horses worked at the site to uncover what remains to this day, the single largest find of ancient Pliocene horses, Equus simplicidens. These were the predecessor to contemporary horses. What came to be known as the Hagerman Horse Quarry included 20 complete skele- tons of these ancient horses in all stages of life, providing researchers with a comprehen- sive and rare look at this population. While the discovery of the Hagerman Hors- es was certainly a highlight of the expedition finds, in 1929 alone there were three tons of fossils removed and shipped to the Smithso- nian for further scientific research. The expe- dition focused on the larger mammals and, in addition to horses, they found ground sloths, saber-toothed cats, mastodons, a recent- ly identified otter ( Lontra weiri ), an extinct genus of camel known as Camelops, large ground sloths, a Hemphillian bear, the earliest example of a coyote ( Canis lepophagus ) and an intriguing creature known as “Bone Crush- er”, which was classified as Borophagus hilli, which resembles a wolf/hyena cross adapted to crush and eat bone.
The significance of the Hagerman Fossil Beds is highlighted in the preservation of the or- igins of the Hagerman Horse, which is the earliest true horse and direct ancestor of all modern horses, the diverse ecosystem which contained over 200 species of plants and an- imals and has provided a location for paleon- tologists to study ecosystems and evolution- ary lineages from over 3 million years ago. The paleontological evidence at this site is contained in a continuous undisturbed strati- graphic record that spans at least 500,000 years, and the presence of volcanic ash lay- ers allows for precise fossil dating. The Hag- erman Fossil Beds are world renowned and identified as one of the richest Pliocene fossil sites ever discovered, producing tens of thou- sands of fossils to date. In 1988 Congress established the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument and set aside over 4,000 acres for ongoing paleontological research. A modern research lab was com- pleted in 2021. which created a new home for the local fossil collection and has helped to fa- cilitate research at the site, promising further revelations to the untold secrets that are still buried in the depths of the Hagerman Valley.
Idaho Gems • Archaeology stone hooves: hagerman fossil beds an idaho treasure
by CARRIE COEN
Deep inside the steep banks of the Snake Riv- er near Hagerman, a treasure trove of ancient remains laid buried and secret for 3-4 million years. It wasn’t until 1928 when those secrets began to be revealed. Elmer Cook, a local rancher, discovered something mysterious eroding from the rocks along the river. Elmer suspected these objects were fossils but contacted Dr. H.T. Stearns at the U.S. Geo- logical Survey for a professional opinion. Dr. Stearns in turn contacted Dr. J.W. Gidley of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Slowly, what had been hidden for millen- nia, came to light. These objects were, in fact, fossils that had formed during the Pliocene Epoch, the spe- cific geological period of time that lasted from 5.33 to 2.58 million years ago. During that time frame in North America, the glob- al climate was cooling and drying. It was ac- companied by the appearance of land animals such as the modern horse and was marked by a surge in populations of mastodons and carnivores such as wolves, bears and weasels.
At the Hagerman site, there were lush wet- lands, forests and grasslands that provided an ecologically diverse home for a variety of flora and fauna. For four consecutive years, 1929-1934, the Smithsonian sent Gidley and a team to lead fossil expeditions in the Hagerman Valley. What they unearthed in Idaho was unprece- dented in terms of volume and significance in comparison to any expedition that had taken place in North America at the time.
Smithsonian Institution Archives, RU000095 [MNH-34095].
Moving tons of earth while digging up to 60-foot-deep exploration pits, the expedi-
14
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 12-492 [SIA2012-2784].
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online