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National Park Service Park News Department of the Interior Winter 2004 Volume 13, No. 1 Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument Minidoka Internment National Monument The Fossil Record Bare Bones of This Issue: • Winter Programs • New Park Guide • Visitor Center • Landslide Expert Visits Park • Critter Corner: Pearce's • Fossil Council Update • Outdoor Lessons • New Signs Point the Way • Volunteer Builds Bookracks Winter Programs - free admission • Snakes Alive! January 24,2004 2-3 p.m. • Bats! March 20, 2004 2-3 p.m. Fun and educational This very popular program returns! Herrett Center for activities for kids of all ages. Program held at Arts & Science educator Nick Peterson will Billingsley Creek State Park, a mile N. of Hagerman. entertain and educate children and adults with • Bats! March 25, 2004 1:30 -2:30 p.m. Preschoolers ) fascinating facts and live touchabie snakes! A (3-5 yrs. old') are invited to our story and activity question and answer period will follow progam about bats, with Hagerman Library staff and the short program. People of all ages NPS educational specialist Annette Rousseau. are invited to attend, but children under Held at Fossil Beds Visitor Center. ten must be accompanied by an adult. This event is co-sponsored by _,.,:-.. Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument and Department Fossil Beds Visitor Center of Parks and Recreation. Location: 'he Visitor Center is located across from the Billingsley Creek State Park one mile high school at 221 North State Street in north of Hagerman on Hwy. 30. THagerman, Idaho. View the slide show, fossil • Family Film Fest: February 6 & 20,2004 6:30-8 p.m. exhibits, and Minidoka Internment National Free popcorn! (Children are welcome to bring their Monument exhibit, and stop by the Natural History favorite blanket.) Land Before Time shown Feb. 6, Association bookstore. There is no fee to enter the Ice Age shown Feb. 20. Visitor Center or the Monument. Hours during the winter are • Women's History Month - two programs Thursday March 4, 2004, Noon -1 p.m. through Bring your brown bag lunch and enjoy a women's Monday history program about the Trail by Grannie 9 a.m. -5 p.m. Miller (Mary Inman). Beverage and dessert provided. For more .March 18, 2004, Noon -1 p.m. information Bring your brown bag lunch and learn about Middle visit our Eastern women's history from Boise State University's website: www. Joanne Klein. Beverage and dessert will be provided. nps.gov/hafo or call (208) 837-4793- Critter Corner Pearce's Peccary - Platygonus pearcei Greg McDonald, NPS Paleontologist

In 1938, one of the scientists who excavated at the Hagerman Horse Quarry, Dr. C.L. Gazin, described a new of peccary, Platygonus pearcei, from the Hagerman fossil beds. The name Platygonus means flat head and refers to the straight shape of the forehead. The species name pearcei is for the discoverer, George known by the native indians but it took awhile for scientists B. Pearce, a member of the 1934 Smithsonian field crew. to discover its existence. Since its original discovery at Hagerman, Pearce's pec­ have a long history in . They first cary has been found near Grand View Idaho and at appear in the Early Oligocene, about 32 million years ago White Bluffs, . and a variety of different species are present in faunas of People often confuse peccaries, which are different ages across the continent. Some of these extinct found in the New World, with which originated in peccaries have been found at John Day Fossil Beds Na­ the Old World, especially since some domestic pigs tional Monument in Oregon and at Badlands National brought by european settlers have escaped over the Monument in . Although common in South years and now run wild in many parts of the United America today, peccaries did not reach that continent until States. These feral pigs are popularly known as razor- about 9 million years ago. Prior to that, there was no back hogs. Relatives of the Old World pigs include the isthmus of Panama, and was an island wart hog of Africa. One of the ways to tell the two continent. As the Panamanian isthmus formed, many groupc ir - s rhe shape of the canine tooth or "rusk". North American entered South America. Along In th id World pigs the tusk is long and curves with peccaries, llamas and tapirs aiso migrated south. To­ around m itself, whereas in the New World peccaries day peor think these animals are South American, yet all the tu •- it is short and straight. Peccaries are plant eaters come Tom North American ancestors. The exchange was a and use it for defense. By rubbing the tusks together two-way street however, and some of the ancient South they can make a chattering noise that warns potential American species, like the ground sloth, migrated north predators to not get too close. and are found at Hagerman. Today there are three living species of peccarv. Modern peccaries ire social animals and often They are found from the southwestern United Stai es form herds. Over 100 individuals have been recorded for a through Central America and into South America. The single herd of white-lipped peccary but smaller size groups only peccary in the United States is the collared pec­ are usually the case in the collared peccary and Chacoan cary {Dicotyles tajacu), also known by its Spanish name, peccary. Such social behavior seems to have been the situa­ javelina. It is often found in dry arid habitats. A second tion in extinct peccaries as well. Pearce's Platygonus discov­ species is the White-lipped peccary (Tyassu peccari) ery at Hagerman included 3 individuals, an adult and two which is found in the rain forests of Central and South juveniles. The skeletons were found articulated (all of the America. The last species, the bones in proper position to each other) suggesting that this (Catagonus wagneri) is the closest living relative to the small family group died at the same time and were quickly extinct Platygonus pearcei found at Hagerman. It is buried. found in the dry shrub habitat or Chaco of Paraguay The entire family group was preserved as one piece and Southern Brazil. The Chacoan peccary has and is on display at the Smithsonian in front of the the unusual distinction of having been first been de­ Hagerman mural. That Pearce's peccary must have been a scribed based on fossils and was originally thought to common member of the Hagerman fauna 3.5 million years be only an extinct species. In 1975 the was ago is also indicated by the numerous isolated bones and discovered to still be alive and well in the Chaco region teeth that have been found throughout the Monument. of Paraguay. This third species of peccarv was well page two (Reprinted from a previous Fossil Record.) Outdoor Lessons: Students Get Involved February Family ducation Specialist Annette Rousseau spent a day last October teaching 5th grade students about paleontology. Children from five local Fossil Film Fest! E February 6 & 20,2003 6:30-8 p.m. schools enjoyed their outdoor fossil lesson at Gooding's Little City of Rocks, where they also Watch DVDs with us & learned about hydrology, archeology, geology, and meet our park paleontologist. wildlife. The 13th annual Little City of Rocks Workshop, sponsored by Gooding Soil Feb. 6: Land Before Time Conservation District, helps to make science real Feb. 20: Ice Age for students. photo by QSCD Qctober 20Q3 Admission is free. Popcorn is provided and children are welcome to bring their favorite blanket Movie rentals donated by"' • Movidand in Hagerman . ' •

Japanese Landslide Expert Visits Monument

ast September a well-known landslide scientist from japan visited the Hagerman Fossil Beds LMonument. Dr. Osamu Nagai from the Japan New Park Guide Landslide Society spent a couple of days with NPS hydrogeologist Neal Farmer and translator Sandy tephanie Martin has lived in Hagerman since Bosteder. The scientists' goal was to inspect geologic 1985. She has two children, Luke and Lainey. conditions where landslides are occurring to S determine a needs assessment. Six slope failures have She is completing her Master of Education degree in occurred in this area since 1979. The Fossil Beds as Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley University well as private property need to be protected as the in Cambridge, Massachusetts. landslides are still very active. Stephanie says, "I love living in the Upon his return to Japan, Dr. Nagai wrote about his Hagerman Valley visit in the international Journal of Japan Landslide and my special Society. interests are He plans to botany, geology return this and history of year with a Shoshoni Indians group of in this area." engineers and install Stephanie's job is to keep the Visitor Center open and greet the many people who visit the Hagerman Fossil equipment Beds in winter. She also assists Annette Rousseau, the to monitor Monument's Education Specialist, in preparing next the summer's programs and working with our new landslides. partnership program with Hagerman Library. page three Hagerman Fossil Council Update Volunteer Builds Bookracks

agerman Fossil Council, Inc. is a 501C3 non­ lenn Andersen of Twin Falls used his profit organization dedicated to provide woodworking skills to create two rolling fundraising, grant writing and volunteer Gbook racks just in time for Fossil Days last H May. The racks increased the sales area and made it support to assist the Fossil Beds Monument in its goals and objectives. Plans for Council projects in 2004 include more accessible. Glenn is a V.I.P. - a member of the publishing an educational coloring book and new Volunteer in postcards, a Fossil Beds Monument trail clean-up day, Parks funding support for research, and holding an open program. house. He lives in Twin Falls, New members are welcome! The membership fee is Sio; and when send your tax-deductible donation to HFCI Inc., P.O. Box he's not busy 56, Hagerman, ID 83332 or call (208) 837-4793 X5221. in his home woodshop New Signs he might be Point the Way found in the l he Idaho Transportation Fossil Beds Department has recently Visitor Tinstalled signs along Center in Hagerman, cataloging the slide and photo Interstate 84 near the Bliss exits and collections. on State Highway 30 near Hagerman. The new signs will help Call the office at (208) 837-4793 to learn about joining direct travelers to Hagerman Fossil the Volunteer In Parks program. Beds Visitor Center.

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument Minidoka Internment National Monument STANDARD A P.O. Box 570 U.S. Postage Hagerman, ID 83332-0570 PAID NPS Permit #G83 OFFICIAL BUSINESS Hagerman, ID PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE S300 83332

January 2004 EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA™