Ancient Red Rocks

Ancient Red Rocks. . The red cliffs seen in and around the park are called the Red Peak Formation - part of the Chugwater Group. This rock outcrop is composed of fine-grained sandstone and is up to 600 feet thick. The brick red color is caused by oxidation of iron minerals in the rock. , Origin of Chugwater , Some historians believe that the name Chugwater is derived from a Native American story about a bison hunt. The hunt ended when hunters drove the animals over a cliff and into the stream below known as "water at the place where the buffalo chug." , Global Extinction , The Red Peak Formation was deposited during both a desolate time in Earth's history and a time of rebirth. About 250 million years ago, just before the start of the Triassic period, a catastrophic event occurred that triggered the extinction of more than 90 percent of Earth's life. Starting at its base, most of the Red Peak Formation is completely void of fossils, marking the aftermath of this mass extinction. , Ancient Tracks in the Sand , About two to three million years after the mass extinction. life was beginning to reintroduce itself. An amazing discovery was made need the top of the Red Peak Formation. Vertebrate tracks and other fossilized traces of life were found in the formation's topmost layers. the discovery revealed some of the oldest known vertebrate tracks and traces, including those that resemble a turtle-like reptile called Chelonipus.