Show UNCOVER MYSTERY IN DEATH VALLEY fossil footprints give line on early life washington A death valley mystery recorded in the soft mud 0 of f 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 P thayer of the geological survey and H donald curry of the national park service while engaged in their regular duties of geologic mapping made almost simultaneous but separate discoveries of fossil footprints proving that several species of mammalian life once wandered over what is now the lowest and hottest area on the north american continent these footprints would excite any zoo keeper for they include those of american camels stubby legged pigs one toed horses the size of burros ancestors of the modern wolves and cats and wading 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 surface 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 to drink they were soon covered and preserved by additional deposits of mud but as a result of the mountain building the hardened into clays have later later been so tilted as to give the impression that those ancient animals walked up slopes steeper than the root roof of a house these pew new finds increase to four the discoveries of vertebrate fossils in death valley four years ago the skull of a a distant relative of the rhinoceros was brought to light it was found in beds of oligocene age which preceded miocene time whereas last year mr curry found tracks of american camels elephants horses and several kinds of birds bird s and two toed animals in beds of pleistocene pleistocene age distinctly younger than miocene |