Ice Age Site Yields 4,517 Bones from 20 Different Animals
Fossil excavation at the Ice Age site near Snowmass Village
wraps up on schedule this weekend, after crews from the Denver
Museum of Nature & Science raced this spring to unearth more
than 4,500 fossils and identify 20 different vertebrate animals
from the site.
The growing list of Ice Age animals includes seven large
mammals:
- mastodon
- mammoth
- bison
- deer
- horse
- sloth
- camel
Plus 13 types of smaller animals:
- otter
- muskrat
- beaver
- chipmunk
- bat
- rabbit
- mouse
- salamander
- frog
- lizard
- snake
- fish
- bird
"We worked as quickly as possible to pull this treasure trove of
fossils from the ground, so our work to identify all of the species
we have found will begin in earnest once we have time for further
analysis back at the Museum," said Dr. Kirk Johnson, the leader of
the excavation team and vice president of the Research and
Collections Division at the Museum. "I predict we have found 30 or
40 different animal species and many plant species at this
incredibly well-preserved site. Our work to really understand
these findings and maximize the site's scientific value is just
beginning."
The full crew of Museum staff and volunteers will work through
Friday, July 1, and the majority of the team will return to Denver
the following day. Construction on the reservoir resumes as planned
early next week and Museum representatives will remain onsite to
assist if additional fossils are located while construction crews
work there. The Museum's three top scientists on the project will
remain in Snowmass Village for several more days to support ongoing
fundraising and to host a wrap-up press conference next week.
Calendar 
