The high school Earth Science classes toured Ashfall Fossil Beds on Wednesday, September 18, 2025. Their tour was guided by Ashfall Fossil Beds Superintendent, Sam Watson. Students learned that the ancient climate in Nebraska was similar to today’s savanna in Africa and temperatures didn’t drop below freezing. Barrel-bodied rhinos, saber-toothed deer, giraffe camels, and horned rodents were a few of the animal species that lived at the site 12 million years ago. Ashfall is world-renowned because the fossils are preserved “in situ” (where they are found). The students said they didn’t know rhinos and camels once roamed Nebraska, saw that babies died near their mothers, the animals didn’t suffocate immediately, and liked learning about the bear dogs. We also learned that the site of the original rhino skull discovery was in a poison ivy patch. Thank you for allowing us to have this opportunity! (Betty Bower)
