Ancient Yellowstone

Microbes found in Yellowstone National Park's thermal pools have structures so ancient that scientists now believe that they could be close to the root in the universal tree of life. These microbes are becoming the models for understanding the biology necessary for life at high temperatures.

There are places in Greater Yellowstone where the snow never melts, or at least, it never used to. Climate change is causing Yellowstone’s ice patches to recede, so many archaeological treasures—if not rescued—will disintegrate within days.

Greater Yellowstone sits on top of a volcanic hot spot where devastating geological events unfolded. The result? A bizarre cemetery of fossilized forests that contain the remains of trees that died from molten lava, ash, and mud around 50 million years ago.

The Greater Yellowstone Area was once a rich grazing ground for huge Columbian mammoths. Now, it’s a prime hunting ground for paleontologists and archaeologists to study the remains of the gargantuan beasts – and their significance to the early Native peoples who hunted them.

Montana’s Hell Creek Formation is home to a trove of late Cretaceous fossils unlike any other in the world, revealing the last days of the great dinosaurs. Researchers have now found a complete Triceratops skull that may reveal one of the last prehistoric battles before dinosaurs vanished forever.

Craters of the Moon National Monument is desolate – but 2,200 years ago, it was the site of today’s Yellowstone Hotspot, known for violent eruptions and huge craters. Constantly shifting due to tectonic activity, will Yellowstone one day resemble this lifeless place...when the Hotspot moves again?