Book 16, Question 141
Why Do Paleontologists Love Deserts and Badlands?
Paleontologists love deserts and badlands because old bones and fossils are easy to find there! Few plants cover the ground, and wind and rain quickly wear away soil. That exposes fossils that were buried for millions of years.
More fun facts
- Badlands buttes hold millions of years of history in their rock layers.
- The Big Pig Dig in Badlands National Park found almost 20,000 fossils.
- By the mid-1800s, 84 kinds of animals were known from North American fossils.
- Of those, 77 were found in the White River Badlands.
- Visitors can watch paleontologists at work and ask them questions.
Sources: National Park Service, National Park Service, National Park Service
Questions kids ask
What was the Big Pig Dig?
It was a fossil dig in Badlands National Park that found almost 20,000 fossils.