Join State Highway Paleontologist Shane Tucker for trip back in time at the Niobrara Visitor Center on Friday, May 24th, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. Tucker will have a presentation, fossil specimens, and reconstructions to help people envision the creatures that roamed this area millions of years ago. People may also bring their own fossils in to be identified.
The Niobrara River Valley is rich in fossils, ranging from roughly 14 thousand to 70 million years old. Though many different types of animals existed here, the area is most known for its fossils of mammals. “Camels, four-tusked elephants, saber-toothed deer, and even horned rodents that looked like prairie dogs once roamed here,” said Tucker. “The abundance of life that is preserved here documents past climates and habitats.”
This program is sponsored by the Nebraska State Museum and the Niobrara National Scenic River. The Niobrara Visitor Center is located at 214 W. Highway 20, in Valentine, NE. For more information, please call 402-376-1901.
Photo by Gary Hochman.