Viewmaster Booklet Reference Library by Mr Viewmaster

H70  Badlands of South Dakota

VIEW-MASTER REEL A

1. Sunrise from East Entrance
2. The Windows, Cedar Pass Area
3. Approaching Cedar Pass
4. Vampire Peak
5. White River Valley
6. Titanothere Skull
7. Spires at Norbeck Pass

VIEW-MASTER REEL B

1. Color-Banded Hills
2. The Palisades at Dillon Pass
3. Castle Rocks, Norbeck Pass
4. Peaks Across from Visitor Center
5. Erosion in Sod Area
6. Sheep Mountain Table Land
7. Sunset's Golden Glow

VIEW-MASTER REEL C

1. Cover Picture—Eroded Peaks
from Valley Floor
2. Banded Buttes
3. Gullies Overlook
4. A Deep Valley from Pinnacles
5. Yellow Mounds
6. Color-Banded Turrets from
Cliff Shelf Trail
7. Fossil Exhibit Trail

Looking over the Badlands today, it is difficult to believe the region was once an iniand sea which spread from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic. That was 65 million years ago. At about that same time the Rockies and the Black Hills to the west pushed their way up through the earth's crust. The entire region rose- The shallow waters retreated, leaving behind layers of bottom mud and the remains of sea animals. That was the beginning of the Badlands. Most of the fantastic peaks and ridges seen in these Badlands today were erosion-carved from formations laid down about 25 to 30 million years ago. Erosion is still going on. How rapidly? it depends on the hardneas of the rock. Mudstorie and siltatone may wa'-.h away at the rate of one inch per year. Hard sandstone is 500 times as resistant to Weather. The rugged landscape near Dillon Pass resembles moon's surface.

PREHISTORIC LIFE IN THE BADLANDS

Because of the way the Badlands were formed, and the way they're eroding, some of the finest fossil beds in the world arc found here- The fossils most commonly found are those of sea turtles- They have remained unchanged for the past 200 million years. The most commonly found mamma! fossils are those of the oreodont- These pig-like animals originated in America about: 40 million years ago- They became extinct about three million years ago. The largest known Badlands fossils are those of the rhino-like titanothere. In some areas, they are so plentiful the localities are called titanothere graveyards' The Plains dried out siowly after the inland sea receded. In time, the Badlands landscape resembled the savannas of East Africa. Camels, small three- toed horses, and saber-tooth cats roamed the area. Collecting fossils and rocks is not permitted. Visitors are asked to leave them undisturbed so others may see and enjoy them- Park naturalists point out fossils still in place on guided nature walks. Paleontologists follow a standard  procedure as they dig for fossils. Beginning with the visible bone, the experts carefully work off the matrix, or worthless rock surrounding the find. They work until they have an idea of what [he fossil is and whether it's worth the effort of excavating. They may work many hours on a find, only to learn it's not worthwhile. If the fossil looks promising, a trench is dug around the site. Then the experts work out part of the bone, hardening it with repeated coats of preservatives un- til it is uncovered. It can now be undermined with a pick, turned over cautiously, and processed as the top was. After it's entirely encased, the next task is to carry it, often in a sling, to a truck. This painstaking work is responsible for one of the world's most famous fossil finds, that of an oreodont and her unborn twins. This Badlands fossil, uncovered in 1928, is now on display in Rapid City's Museum of Geology.