An Ancient Waterhole

An Ancient Waterhole. . Nineteen million years ago this was a waterhole in the midst of a wide, shallow river valley. Vegetation was sparse. Occasional clouds of volcanic dust thickened the air and extreme drought conditions prevailed. This waterhole was the lifeblood for animals from miles around. Herds of large mammals called chalicotheres and ancient rhinoceroses converged here for water and devoured the remaining vegetation., As food became scarce, the weakened animals laid down in the cool waterhole to die. Beardogs and omnivorous entelodonts waited at the waterhole to feed on the carcasses of the chalicotheres and rhinoceroses., Captions , Lower Left: A beardog, two entelodonts, and three chalicotheres meet at the waterhole in search of water and/or food. , Upper Right: At University Hill, Erwin H. Barbour and the University of Nebraska were the second institution to work the great bonebed. Barbour's efforts paid off in finding a remarkably well preserved specimen of the extinct Dinohyus. , Lower Right: University Quarry at the end of the 1908 field season. This University of Nebraska team is loading the last bone slabs for the trip to Andrews, a rail connection to the university in Lincoln. . This historical marker was erected by Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, National Park Service. It is in Agate in Sioux County Nebraska