Ashfall Fossil Beds
Rhinoceroses, three-toed horses, camels, birds, and other animals lie where volcanic ash overwhelmed a Miocene waterhole about 12 million years ago.
Artwork inspired by Robert F. Gilder
Ashfall preserves an unusually concentrated and articulated death assemblage rather than bones transported and mixed by a river. Fine ash from a distant supereruption accumulated in animals’ lungs and on the landscape; larger species survived longer, helping scientists reconstruct both the disaster sequence and the waterhole community.
The Hubbard Rhino Barn lets visitors watch excavation and preparation around fossils still embedded in the ash. Look for body position, age groups, tooth wear, and species distribution before focusing on a single dramatic skeleton—the pattern across the floor is the site’s most valuable evidence.
- Age
- About 12 million years
- Event
- Distant volcanic ashfall
- Signature experience
- Fossils exposed in place inside Rhino Barn
Quick guide
- Core comparison
- About 12 million years ↔ Distant volcanic ashfall
- Second-look plan
- See how volcanic ash preserved many animals at one watering place.
Quick guide
- Death layer
- See how volcanic ash preserved many animals at one watering place.
- Excavation
- Watch fossils in place rather than imagining a reconstructed bone hall.
- Sequence
- Use position, age, and species to follow the animals’ prolonged exposure.
- Protection
- Remain behind barriers and keep every fragment in its scientific context.
Good to know
Animal positions and age groups across the ash bed reconstruct the disaster sequence, making the pattern of the entire excavation more informative than one dramatic skeleton.
Notice these
- About 12 million years
- Distant volcanic ashfall
- Fossils exposed in place inside Rhino Barn