| Show I Uncover Ancient Mystery of Death Valley Fossil Footprints Give Line Lineon on Early Life A Washington A death valley vaHey mystery recorded in the soft mud of geologic time some millions of years ago has been brought to light by some scientific sleuthing in the heart of the valley by geologists of the United States Department of the Interior The geologists Dr T. T P. P Thayer of the geological survey and H. H Donald Curry of the national park service while engaged In their regular duties of geologic mapping made almost simultaneous but sep sep- separate arate arnie discoveries of fossil footprints proving that several species of mammalian life once wandered over what is now the lowest and hot hot- hottest hottest test area on the North American con con- These These- footprints would ex cx- excite cite any zoo keeper for they in include in- in clude elude those of American camels stubby-legged stubby pigs toed one horses the size of burros ancestors of the modern wolves and cats eats and wad wad- wading wading ing birds large and small The footprints were found in two different formations one distinctly older than the other though both came into being during Miocene time at the close of which the sur sur- surface surface face of the continent underwent severe disturbances and our western mountains rose to great heights The footprints were formed in beds of soft mud apparently around ancient water holes to which the animals went vent to drink They were soon cov coy covered ered and preserved by additional deposits of mud but as a result of the mountain building the hardened into clays have later been so tilted as to give the impression impression sion that those ancient animals walked up slopes steeper than the roof of a house These new finds increase to four the discoveries of vertebrate fos fossils fos- fos fossils sils in Death valley Four years ago the kull skull of a a distant relative of the rhinoceros was brought to light It was found in I beds of Oligocene age which pre pre- preceded preceded ceded Miocene time whereas last year Mr Curry found tracks of American camels elephants horses and several kinds of birds and two two- toed animals in beds of Pleistocene age distinctly younger than Mio Mio- cene |
