Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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View over Snake River in the National Monument
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 Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
Location in Idaho
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
Location in the United States
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| Location | Twin Falls County / Gooding County, Idaho, United States |
| Nearest city | Hagerman, ID |
| Area | 420,000 acres (1,700 km2) |
| Authorized | November 18, 1988 |
| Visitors | 25,982 (in 2016) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument |
| Designated: | 1975 |
The Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument is a special place near Hagerman, Idaho. It holds the biggest collection of Hagerman horse fossils found in North America. These famous fossil horses have only been found in one spot within the monument, called the Hagerman Horse Quarry.
This monument covers about 4,351 acres (17.61 km2). It is important worldwide because it protects the richest fossil deposits from a time called the late Pliocene epoch. This was about 3.5 million years ago. The plants and animals found here give us a last look at life before the Ice Age began. They also show us the first signs of modern plants and animals. The fossils from this time are also important because they show species that lived when early humans were evolving on a different continent. The fossil beds were named a National Natural Landmark in 1975.
Amazing Ancient Animals
Many incredible ancient animals have been found as fossils at Hagerman. These fossils help scientists learn about life millions of years ago.
- Hagerman horse (Equus simplicidens): This is the most famous fossil found here. It's an ancient type of horse. Scientists used to call it Plesippus shoshonensis.
- Ancient Camel (Camelops): This was a type of camel that used to live in North America. It's now extinct, meaning it no longer exists.
Besides these, many other kinds of animals have been found. These include huge mastodons, which were like ancient elephants. There were also fierce saber-toothed cats with their long, sharp teeth. Even bone-crushing dogs, called Borophaginae, lived here. Scientists have also found fossils of various fish, frogs, small voles, and beavers.
