Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument

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Nearest city
  
Hagerman, ID

Visitors
  
21,100 (in 2012)

Phone
  
+1 208-933-4100

Management
  
National Park Service

Area
  
4,351 acres (17.61 km)

Governing body
  
National Park Service

Established
  
November 18, 1988

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument

Location
  
Twin Falls County / Gooding County, Idaho, United States

Authorized
  
November 18, 1988 (1988-November-18)

Address
  
221 N State St, Hagerman, ID 83332, USA

Hours
  
Open today · 9AM–4PMTuesday9AM–4PMWednesday9AM–4PMThursday9AM–4PMFriday9AM–4PMSaturday9AM–4PMSunday9AM–4PMMonday9AM–4PM

Similar
  
Thousand Springs State Park, 1000 Springs Resort, Miracle Hot Springs, Hagerman RV Village, High Adventure River Tours

Profiles

Extinct mustelids and other pliocene animals at hagerman fossil beds national monument


Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument near Hagerman, Idaho, contains the largest concentration of Hagerman horse fossils in North America. The fossil horses for which the Monument is famous have been found in only one locale in the northern portion of the Monument called the Hagerman Horse Quarry. The 4,351-acre (17.6 km2) Monument is internationally significant because it protects the world's richest known fossil deposits from the late Pliocene epoch, 3.5 million years ago. These plants and animals represent the last glimpse of that time that existed before the Ice Age, and the earliest appearances of modern flora and fauna. This is also significant because the fossils present during this period of the Pliocene represent species which were alive during the early stages in the evolution of man, albeit on a different continent. The fossil beds were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1975.

Contents

Hagerman fossil beds national monument accessible preview


Notable fossils

  • Hagerman horse, Equus simplicidens, formerly known as Plesippus shoshonensis
  • Camelops, an extinct genus of camel that once inhabited North America
  • Many other species are also found in the fossil record, including mastodons, dirk tooth cats and bone crushing dogs (Borophaginae), as well as various species of fish, frog, vole and beaver.

    References

    Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument Wikipedia