812:
485:
20:
662:
158:
459:. The local vegetation left behind great coals deposits in the rock record. Throughout the remainder of the Cenozoic, North Dakota's climate cooled and dried. The state's swamps vanished and their inhabitants became extinct. In their place woodlands formed. The climate got colder still and eventually
574:
continuously sought to kill the serpents and successful kills became numbered with the abundant local fossils. The lightning had been so devastating to the area that it was responsible for the conversion of the region to badlands and the Sioux avoid physical contact with the fossils out of fear that
694:
became interested in North Dakota paleontology as a result of Evans and Leidy's research. Hall sent Hayden and Meek into the area. The expedition was a great success, with Hayden and Meek "collected an enormous quantity of fossils." Hall and Meek formally described their non-mammalian discoveries,
550:
monster equipped with feet, like the elongate sinuous mosasaurs who had four short limbs. Its back was described as ridged and saw like, a configuration similar to the appearance of a fossil vertebral column eroding from rock. In more recent times Lakota storyteller James LaPointe has explicitly
534:. As some groups of Sioux began moving west into the regions that includes North Dakota their depictions of Unktehi tended to converge on the characteristics of local fossils. Although Unktehi continued to be described as horned, it gradually became imagined as
740:
skeleton ever found at the time. The excavation of the specimen was funded by many organizations at both the national and state levels. Among the excavators were Dr. Holland, Jack W. Crawford, and
Michael F. Archbold from the Department of Geology at the
639:
678:, who discussed the remains in a pioneering and historically significant series of publications. Among the most prominent figures in early North Dakota paleontology were Dr.
604:
1069:
647:
319:
lived in the Late
Cretaceous seas of North Dakota. On land, dinosaurs were living along the coast of this sea. Later in the Cretaceous, local North Dakotan
337:
1377:
706:. The site of Cope's discovery attracted so much attention that all of its fossils had been collected and the site was "completely mined out." In 1905
655:
715:
224:
much of the state was covered in shallow seawater, but the exposed terrestrial environments were very hot and dry. As the
Triassic gave way to the
1387:
1062:
691:
612:
1019:
Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The
Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. 861 pp.
643:
1042:
1055:
615:
plants still growing in the area. Maximilian collected a large number of them but in 1835 his fossils were destroyed near what is now
1382:
702:
made his first forays into North Dakota. Among his early accomplishments was the description of two new kinds of fish from the
1372:
335:. These were also preserved in the area now occupied by the banks of the Missouri and Little Missouri rivers. The Cretaceous
122:
1137:
296:
424:. Freshwater clams and snails are known in the areas north and east of the Missouri River. The Cannonball deposits near
1322:
711:
1078:
1024:
1003:
987:
1353:
1247:
213:
period significant areas of the state were dry land. By the end of the
Paleozoic the state was positioned near the
611:
impressions preserved in sandstone in the upper
Missouri River area. He thought the plants were similar to modern
1287:
1252:
1327:
1232:
1192:
1292:
1282:
1277:
835:
559:
1207:
1122:
193:
the sea briefly withdrew from the state, although it was quickly re-inundated. Life in this sea included
1242:
1237:
1112:
742:
584:
134:
1332:
1297:
1202:
1177:
825:
746:
555:
268:
1317:
1267:
1222:
1212:
1197:
1187:
1172:
1152:
1127:
1117:
1107:
687:
353:, some up to 50 lbs. Some of the petrified wood at this site bear the borings made by ancient
77:
some areas of the state were still under shallow seawater, but others were dry and hot. During the
1337:
1312:
1217:
1157:
1132:
1102:
1092:
830:
797:
777:
754:
291:
can likewise be found in the
Pembina Escarpment and Valley City area as well as the banks of the
130:
239:. Eventually these forests were also swallowed again by the sea. This sea was home to life like
84:
forests covered the state. North Dakota was always at least partially under seawater during the
1272:
1227:
1167:
1142:
1097:
1037:
793:
733:
683:
616:
416:
would later leave behind wood to petrify. Leaves are also among the state's
Paleocene fossils.
950:
Mayor (2005); "Water
Monsters and Thunder Birds on the Prairie and in the Badlands", page 237.
941:
Mayor (2005); "Water
Monsters and Thunder Birds on the Prairie and in the Badlands", page 235.
1302:
1182:
1147:
762:
703:
103:
24:
412:
clams and snails have also been found in other contemporary deposits in the state. On land,
1307:
1262:
1162:
781:
725:
405:
346:
332:
209:. Sea levels continued to fluctuate throughout the remainder of the Paleozoic, and by the
8:
817:
699:
679:
425:
773:
620:
264:
260:
583:
The first scientifically documented fossils in North Dakota were collected during the
538:
rather than the mammalian portrayals of the Sioux in the Great Lakes region, like the
428:
are the last marine deposits to have been left in the North American interior. As the
1020:
999:
983:
374:
370:
1047:
1347:
750:
600:
280:
34:
996:
Hunting for Fossils: A Guide to Finding and Collecting Fossils in All 50 States
592:
588:
507:
504:
463:
activity reshaped the state's landscape. At this time North Dakota was home to
350:
292:
248:
142:
133:. The first scientifically documented local fossils were collected during the
1366:
707:
444:
385:
365:
323:
left behind fossil bones and on rare occasions impressions were preserved of
300:
178:
125:
interpreted fossils as the remains of the water monster Unktehi or burrowing
46:
38:
729:
675:
484:
288:
146:
90:
42:
1012:
Springer, Dale, Judy Scotchmoor. July 21, 2006. "North Dakota, US."
761:
mammal skulls were discovered in North Dakota and were described for the
758:
720:
666:
515:
500:
433:
421:
379:
320:
244:
233:
174:
162:
81:
54:
932:
Weishampel, et al. (2004); "3.14 North Dakota, United States", page 585.
651:
409:
359:
354:
276:
259:
North Dakota was either fully or partially submerged by sea water. The
256:
252:
194:
166:
85:
575:
doing so might make themselves more likely to be killed by lightning.
635:
631:
596:
571:
543:
539:
523:
468:
456:
393:
316:
304:
186:
185:
era. Large areas of North Dakota were under the sea during the early
182:
111:
69:, but soon returned, until once more starting to withdraw during the
757:
was another participant. Between 1963 and 1966 several significant
714:
the fossils of the region near Cope's work. In the summer of 1963,
563:
519:
488:
464:
429:
240:
225:
221:
190:
138:
115:
107:
95:
78:
74:
66:
858:
856:
854:
852:
850:
661:
535:
514:. This image was likely derived from early observations of large
460:
236:
214:
210:
206:
70:
973:
Oceans of Kansas - A Natural History of the Western Interior Sea
503:, they imagined their mythical Water Monster Unktehi as a large
19:
847:
566:. They interpreted the bones as the remains of monstrous, evil
511:
440:
436:
417:
401:
397:
324:
312:
99:
62:
58:
1013:
157:
871:
Everhart (2005); "One Day in the Life of a Mosasaur", page 5.
634:
the upper Missouri region. In the course of these surveys, a
567:
547:
531:
496:
413:
342:
328:
308:
229:
198:
126:
862:
Springer, and Scotchmoor (2006); "Paleontology and geology".
926:
608:
527:
452:
448:
284:
272:
202:
630:
In the mid-19th century the US government began intensely
627:
shells in the area but the specimens were of low quality.
546:
of the region's Mesozoic rock. Unktehi was described as a
37:
research occurring within or conducted by people from the
16:
Paleontological research in the U.S. state of North Dakota
624:
315:. Contemporary fishes also left fossils of their scales.
98:
the local seas dried up and were replaced by subtropical
50:
907:
905:
903:
901:
899:
897:
619:
in a fire on the steam ship transporting them. In 1843
587:
between 1804 and 1806 as they mapped the course of the
944:
935:
895:
893:
891:
889:
887:
885:
883:
881:
879:
877:
650:
as one of the best places in the world for collecting
1077:
959:
Mayor (2005); "Cope's Young Indian Guide", page 262.
807:
177:
fossils are known from North Dakota, so the state's
917:
874:
591:. The first fossil written about in the state were
562:, have a long history of familiarity with dinosaur
642:named John Evans described the region between the
439:. Rich North Dakotan forests included plants like
923:Everhart (2005); "Enter the Mosasaurs", page 174.
432:progressed, North Dakota's sea would give way to
1364:
558:, which straddles the border between North and
953:
865:
299:. The Pierre Shale preserves later Cretaceous
1063:
479:
404:were preserved by sediments now known as the
1378:Paleontology in the United States by state
1070:
1056:
787:
623:collected fossils like petrified wood and
660:
483:
228:, North Dakota was becoming a series of
156:
18:
408:, however, such fossils are very rare.
1388:Science and technology in North Dakota
1365:
578:
349:. The same site preserved sections of
49:most of North Dakota was covered by a
1051:
980:Fossil Legends of the First Americans
695:while Leidy described their mammals.
106:, when glaciers entered the area and
102:. Climate gradually cooled until the
982:. Princeton University Press. 2005.
975:. Indiana University Press, 320 pp.
710:wrote extensively on behalf of the
13:
526:eroding out of the banks of local
420:plant fossils are known along the
65:. The sea briefly left during the
14:
1399:
1079:Paleontology in the United States
1031:
674:Evans sent vertebrate fossils to
357:. Dinosaurs included the armored
993:
911:
810:
640:Northern Pacific Railroad Survey
1383:Natural history of North Dakota
271:region records the presence of
1038:Geologic units in North Dakota
1016:. Accessed September 21, 2012.
736:. It was regarded as the best
599:concretions discovered at the
1:
965:
152:
1373:Paleontology in North Dakota
841:
836:Paleontology in South Dakota
31:Paleontology in North Dakota
7:
803:
605:Alexander Philip Maximilian
570:that tunneled underground.
551:called Unktehi a dinosaur.
10:
1404:
743:University of North Dakota
585:Lewis and Clark Expedition
480:Indigenous interpretations
474:
135:Lewis and Clark Expedition
1346:
1085:
1043:Paleoportal: North Dakota
826:Paleontology in Minnesota
768:
718:discovered a specimen of
603:. In 1833 a German named
556:Standing Rock Reservation
181:does not begin until the
169:in a modern wharf piling.
1014:The Paleontology Portal
994:Murray, Marian (1974).
831:Paleontology in Montana
788:Natural history museums
971:Everhart, M. J. 2005.
794:Dakota Dinosaur Museum
749:. Marshall Lambert of
684:Fielding Bradford Meek
671:
492:
297:Little Missouri rivers
279:with fossils of their
170:
27:
763:scientific literature
704:White River Formation
664:
648:Falls of the Missouri
487:
160:
25:state of North Dakota
22:
726:Hell Creek Formation
518:mammal fossils like
406:Cannonball Formation
333:Hell Creek Formation
145:is the North Dakota
23:The location of the
818:Paleontology portal
700:Edward Drinker Cope
680:Ferdinand V. Hayden
579:Scientific research
392:During the ensuing
94:grew. Later in the
45:. During the early
774:Charles Lewis Camp
672:
621:John James Audubon
493:
338:Sequoia dakotensis
265:Pembina Escarpment
261:Niobrara Formation
171:
28:
1360:
1359:
998:. Collier Books.
978:Mayor, Adrienne.
732:near the town of
554:The Sioux of the
499:lived around the
375:pachycephalosaurs
371:ostrich dinosaurs
345:in the area near
287:. The Cretaceous
255:. Throughout the
114:roamed the local
1395:
1354:Washington, D.C.
1348:Federal district
1072:
1065:
1058:
1049:
1048:
1009:
960:
957:
951:
948:
942:
939:
933:
930:
924:
921:
915:
914:, "North Dakota"
909:
872:
869:
863:
860:
820:
815:
814:
813:
656:Tertiary fossils
601:Cannonball River
123:Native Americans
1403:
1402:
1398:
1397:
1396:
1394:
1393:
1392:
1363:
1362:
1361:
1356:
1342:
1081:
1076:
1034:
1006:
968:
963:
958:
954:
949:
945:
940:
936:
931:
927:
922:
918:
910:
875:
870:
866:
861:
848:
844:
816:
811:
809:
806:
790:
771:
716:Charles I. Frye
581:
482:
477:
327:from the local
155:
35:paleontological
17:
12:
11:
5:
1401:
1391:
1390:
1385:
1380:
1375:
1358:
1357:
1352:
1350:
1344:
1343:
1341:
1340:
1335:
1330:
1325:
1320:
1315:
1310:
1305:
1300:
1295:
1290:
1288:South Carolina
1285:
1280:
1275:
1270:
1265:
1260:
1255:
1253:North Carolina
1250:
1245:
1240:
1235:
1230:
1225:
1220:
1215:
1210:
1205:
1200:
1195:
1190:
1185:
1180:
1175:
1170:
1165:
1160:
1155:
1150:
1145:
1140:
1135:
1130:
1125:
1120:
1115:
1110:
1105:
1100:
1095:
1089:
1087:
1083:
1082:
1075:
1074:
1067:
1060:
1052:
1046:
1045:
1040:
1033:
1032:External links
1030:
1029:
1028:
1017:
1010:
1004:
991:
976:
967:
964:
962:
961:
952:
943:
934:
925:
916:
873:
864:
845:
843:
840:
839:
838:
833:
828:
822:
821:
805:
802:
801:
800:
789:
786:
770:
767:
593:petrified wood
589:Missouri River
580:
577:
481:
478:
476:
473:
363:, duck-billed
351:petrified wood
249:foraminiferans
154:
151:
143:petrified wood
129:killed by the
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1400:
1389:
1386:
1384:
1381:
1379:
1376:
1374:
1371:
1370:
1368:
1355:
1351:
1349:
1345:
1339:
1336:
1334:
1331:
1329:
1328:West Virginia
1326:
1324:
1321:
1319:
1316:
1314:
1311:
1309:
1306:
1304:
1301:
1299:
1296:
1294:
1291:
1289:
1286:
1284:
1281:
1279:
1276:
1274:
1271:
1269:
1266:
1264:
1261:
1259:
1256:
1254:
1251:
1249:
1246:
1244:
1241:
1239:
1236:
1234:
1233:New Hampshire
1231:
1229:
1226:
1224:
1221:
1219:
1216:
1214:
1211:
1209:
1206:
1204:
1201:
1199:
1196:
1194:
1193:Massachusetts
1191:
1189:
1186:
1184:
1181:
1179:
1176:
1174:
1171:
1169:
1166:
1164:
1161:
1159:
1156:
1154:
1151:
1149:
1146:
1144:
1141:
1139:
1136:
1134:
1131:
1129:
1126:
1124:
1121:
1119:
1116:
1114:
1111:
1109:
1106:
1104:
1101:
1099:
1096:
1094:
1091:
1090:
1088:
1084:
1080:
1073:
1068:
1066:
1061:
1059:
1054:
1053:
1050:
1044:
1041:
1039:
1036:
1035:
1026:
1025:0-520-24209-2
1022:
1018:
1015:
1011:
1007:
1005:9780020935506
1001:
997:
992:
989:
988:0-691-11345-9
985:
981:
977:
974:
970:
969:
956:
947:
938:
929:
920:
913:
912:Murray (1974)
908:
906:
904:
902:
900:
898:
896:
894:
892:
890:
888:
886:
884:
882:
880:
878:
868:
859:
857:
855:
853:
851:
846:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
824:
823:
819:
808:
799:
795:
792:
791:
785:
783:
780:on 12 March,
779:
775:
766:
764:
760:
756:
752:
748:
744:
739:
735:
731:
727:
723:
722:
717:
713:
709:
708:Earl Douglass
705:
701:
696:
693:
692:W. James Hall
689:
685:
681:
677:
669:
668:
663:
659:
657:
653:
649:
645:
641:
637:
633:
628:
626:
622:
618:
614:
613:phanerogammic
610:
606:
602:
598:
595:preserved in
594:
590:
586:
576:
573:
569:
565:
561:
557:
552:
549:
545:
541:
537:
533:
529:
525:
521:
517:
513:
509:
506:
502:
498:
490:
486:
472:
470:
466:
462:
458:
454:
450:
446:
445:dawn redwoods
442:
438:
435:
431:
427:
423:
419:
415:
411:
407:
403:
399:
395:
390:
388:
387:
386:Tyrannosaurus
382:
381:
376:
372:
368:
367:
366:Edmontosaurus
362:
361:
356:
352:
348:
344:
340:
339:
334:
330:
326:
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
302:
301:invertebrates
298:
294:
290:
286:
282:
278:
274:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
250:
246:
242:
238:
235:
231:
227:
223:
218:
216:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
192:
189:. During the
188:
184:
180:
179:fossil record
176:
168:
165:
164:
159:
150:
148:
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
124:
119:
117:
113:
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
92:
87:
83:
80:
76:
72:
68:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
47:Paleozoic era
44:
40:
36:
32:
26:
21:
1293:South Dakota
1283:Rhode Island
1278:Pennsylvania
1258:North Dakota
1257:
995:
979:
972:
955:
946:
937:
928:
919:
867:
776:was born in
772:
737:
730:Slope County
719:
697:
676:Joseph Leidy
673:
665:
629:
582:
560:South Dakota
553:
494:
391:
384:
378:
364:
358:
341:left fossil
336:
289:Pierre Shale
219:
172:
161:
147:state fossil
131:thunderbirds
120:
89:
43:North Dakota
30:
29:
1208:Mississippi
1123:Connecticut
759:Pleistocene
747:Grand Forks
738:Triceratops
721:Triceratops
667:Triceratops
644:Sioux River
516:Pleistocene
501:Great Lakes
434:subtropical
422:Knife River
380:Triceratops
321:vertebrates
275:during the
269:Valley City
245:echinoderms
234:subtropical
232:covered in
220:During the
195:brachiopods
175:Precambrian
163:Teredolites
82:subtropical
55:brachiopods
1367:Categories
1323:Washington
1243:New Mexico
1238:New Jersey
1113:California
966:References
690:geologist
652:Cretaceous
410:Freshwater
360:Edmontonia
355:ship worms
277:Cretaceous
257:Cretaceous
253:gastropods
153:Prehistory
88:. On land
86:Cretaceous
33:refers to
1333:Wisconsin
1298:Tennessee
1203:Minnesota
1178:Louisiana
842:Footnotes
798:Dickinson
778:Jamestown
638:with the
636:geologist
632:surveying
607:observed
597:sandstone
572:Lightning
548:snakelike
544:mosasaurs
540:dinosaurs
536:reptilian
524:mastodons
495:When the
469:mastodons
394:Paleocene
317:Mosasaurs
305:ammonites
187:Paleozoic
183:Paleozoic
116:woodlands
112:mastodons
73:. By the
41:state of
1318:Virginia
1268:Oklahoma
1248:New York
1223:Nebraska
1213:Missouri
1198:Michigan
1188:Maryland
1173:Kentucky
1153:Illinois
1128:Delaware
1118:Colorado
1108:Arkansas
804:See also
734:Marmarth
712:Carnegie
698:In 1883
688:New York
682:and Dr.
646:and the
617:Bismarck
568:serpents
564:bonebeds
520:mammoths
489:Mosasaur
465:mammoths
430:Cenozoic
293:Missouri
241:bivalves
226:Jurassic
222:Triassic
207:molluscs
191:Silurian
139:Shipworm
127:serpents
108:mammoths
96:Cenozoic
79:Jurassic
75:Triassic
67:Silurian
53:home to
1338:Wyoming
1313:Vermont
1218:Montana
1158:Indiana
1138:Georgia
1133:Florida
1103:Arizona
1093:Alabama
755:Montana
751:Ekalaka
724:in the
508:buffalo
505:aquatic
475:History
461:glacial
396:epoch,
331:in the
263:of the
237:forests
215:equator
211:Permian
167:borings
141:-bored
104:Ice Age
91:Sequoia
71:Permian
1273:Oregon
1228:Nevada
1168:Kansas
1143:Hawaii
1098:Alaska
1086:States
1023:
1002:
986:
769:People
625:marine
532:rivers
512:mammal
510:-like
455:, and
441:cycads
437:swamps
418:Eocene
402:snails
398:corals
383:, and
347:Mandan
325:leaves
313:snails
311:, and
281:scales
251:, and
230:plains
203:fishes
199:corals
121:Local
100:swamps
63:fishes
61:, and
59:corals
1303:Texas
1183:Maine
1148:Idaho
528:lakes
497:Sioux
457:palms
449:ferns
426:Minot
414:trees
343:cones
329:flora
309:clams
303:like
285:bones
1308:Utah
1263:Ohio
1163:Iowa
1021:ISBN
1000:ISBN
984:ISBN
782:1893
654:and
609:leaf
542:and
530:and
522:and
467:and
453:figs
400:and
295:and
283:and
273:fish
267:and
205:and
110:and
39:U.S.
745:at
728:of
173:No
51:sea
1369::
876:^
849:^
796:,
784:.
765:.
753:,
686:.
658:.
471:.
451:,
447:,
443:,
389:.
377:,
373:,
369:,
307:,
247:,
243:,
217:.
201:,
197:,
149:.
137:.
118:.
57:,
1071:e
1064:t
1057:v
1027:.
1008:.
990:.
670:.
491:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
