Layers of Life: Stories of Ancient Oregon

Overview

Layers of Life: Stories of Ancient Oregon tells a story of one of the richest fossil beds in North America, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Travel through nearly 50-million years and discover how life during the Age of Mammals and Flowering Plants responded to landscapes with fluctuating climates and explosive volcanoes. Once warm and rainy, teeming with crocodiles and palm trees, the land slowly transformed into a high desert, dotted with sagebrush steppe and pronghorns. Dynamic, 3-D animation illustrates how iconic landscape features like Sheep Rock, the Painted Hills, and the Clarno Palisades were formed.