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Show Scientific Discovery Made by Henries Konroy Henrie and his wife Cleo of Panguitch have made the first discovery of Ice-age mammoth remains in the volcanic ash deposits of Utah. Fossil bones of these enormous mammals are commonly found in Utah Lake Bonneville gravel deposits of the Great Basin but few, If any. have been reported from Utah basins of the Colorado River drainage, and in particular, none have been found before in any Utah volcanic-ash deposits. The Henrie family's interest in dry bones ;began with a Scout project when their son decided to use old bones as swapping material in a Scout camp. The Henries own a ranch on the Panguitch Lake road and it was in that area the search fol old animal remains bgan. A good deal of materia was gathered up for trading at camp but their Interest confined to smoulder. They began to fascinating things previously invisablc to their interest. One day their interest focus -d upon some strange objects in a mound of re-worked volcanic ash near the ranch house. They correctly identified the material as fractured bone and carefully dug many fragments from the white matrix. Fossil bone Imbedded In volcanic-ash generally becomes more dense than its original condition so it was only natural Uiat the challenge of a bone jig-saw puzzle resulted In the reassembly of one large bone. The Henries were very pleased for it was obvious their bone was not part of a domestic or modern wild animal, but apparently much larger. Nothing of this nature had ever been found in the Panguitch region so there was an absence of residual information within the community as to what they may have discovered. Konroy finally heard that a Paleontologist was in town and invited him into his home to examine the specimens Mr James A. Jensen, Curator of Ihe Earth Sciences Museum .it Brlgham Young University was able to Identify at least part of the material by means of the presence of a complete 1 y disintegrated mammoth tooth. The large re-assembled bone was identified by him as a fibula, the outer bone In the animal s lower rear leg This bone appears to be about 9 '10 complete. Ossification, or fur; ing, of the epiphysis (growth zone near one end of the bone indicates the ancient animal to be near a muture age. The bones length, together with the curvature of numerous rib fragments present, suggest the animal was one of an intermediate size within its group. Exact identification of any individual in this group, known as Probiscidians, cannot be made. Mr. Jensen said, until adequate skull materials including whole teeth are discovered. He urged Mr. Henrie to keep the materials on display in his home to acquaint other people of the region with the possibility of discovering other specimens which may yet be lying in some nearby gravel pit or volcanic ash deposit. He pointed out that many valuable scientific discoveries have been made by amateurs in the past amounting to a great Increase In man's knowledge of the earth's fascinating history |